MiniMovieManiac

Look, I totally understand that there are problems with The Last Jedi and Rian Johnson made some unwanted decisions. I'm gonna leave it at this, the movie has potential if the movie was edited differently and certain scenes were cut out and some deleted scenes were placed in the place of those scenes. If the casino scene sequence was cut, and Rose ended up being a hacker who was once a criminal and gets them onto Snoke's ship. So, with that there would be extra time to insert the deleted scene when Rey runs to the village she thought was in danger and has a nice dialogue scene with Luke. The Last Jedi, while I didn't like it at first, could've been made better if a few changes were made that would've been easy to make. I'm not part of the toxic fan base that claims this ruined Star Wars, I just think that Rian Johnson would've been a great anthology film director and J.J. Abrams should've directed the whole trilogy. This is actually what I think LucasFilm wanted, and J.J. didn't want to direct them, good thing he's back. So all in all, The Last Jedi is a decent and confidently made, but fails to remember that part of making Star Wars is fan service. I want to see Rian Johnson come back and prove himself with an anthology film, which I believe he is better suited for. Maybe bring him on to write the Obi-Wan movie with Ewan McGregor and let him make an Oscar worthy movie with good action, like Looper.

One of the most revolutionary movies of all time that defined a whole generation of filmmaking. Star Wars has created the greatest film franchise of all time and deservedly so. The film has been examined for years and is still being praised by critics today for how revolutionary it is. The character development, to the special effects, still hold up today and still enjoys the pedestal it sits on today.

This is by no means a perfect comic book movie, but the DCEU finally hits a good tone and Jason Momoa kills it as the lead role. While I didn't totally buy the chemistry between Mera and Aquaman, Amber Heard and Jason Momoa bring charm to the roles that was really lacking with all of the other DCEU castings. The action has substantially improved with wide angles and no shaky cam CGI messes, which is one thing that had to improve in terms of filmmaking. One thing I really enjoyed about this movie was that this felt like an actual director was at the helm and the studio didn't come in and interfere halfway through production. One thing that this movie provides is a good starting blueprint for WB to how they need to handle their movies in the DCEU going forward. All they have to do is bring on confident directors, let them have control of how their movie gets made, and the studio just needs to back off and let the creative process go and allow the product of the film to be made. Aquaman was a fun action/comic book movie and puts the DCEU on the right track for the future, by no means the caliber of the better MCU movies, but a great place to go after seeing the fun a good director and creativity can bring to the table.

The only thing good about this movie is that it finally brought an end to this franchise under Michael Bay. What should've been the easiest action movie franchises to helm, Michael Bay managed to make us hate the transformers. I hate these movies and hope Michael Bay never touches another action franchise because he is poison as a director. This movie is plagued with the same problems of every movie and can't escape a terrible director and terrible writers who I think were actually 14-year-olds. Never watch this movie or series, it's not worth it!

This was a potentially great video game adaption but the pieces just didn't come together. I would say the biggest problem with the movie was the tone switching and the consistency of the movie not being as good as it could've been. The film starts out strong but fades as it falls into the generic action movie category. The lead actress playing Croft is the perfect fit for the role and I would like to see her come back with a better writer and director for the franchise. So, this is a usual, generic, action movie with nothing really special to make it stand out from other action movies that came out before it. But, this does show some potential for video game movies if they are handled by the right people. But, this film just wasn't able to break through and set itself apart from other films.

This movie may have thought to be fun in 2007, but it hasn't aged well and is as bad as the entire series under Michael Bay. From terrible characters to dialogue sounding like a 12-year-old write, this movie doesn't and will never hold up for the years to come. I hate this movie and the entire series as a whole and it was painful to watch this entire series be around as long as it was under Michael Bay.

People never thought that Sony, buy themselves, could make a good Spider-Man movie and that this would fall flat on its face. I have never been happier to be wrong about a movie because this could possibly be the best Spider-Man movie we have ever gotten. From the great animation to the feeling of being put right into a comic book and along for the ride with Miles as he becomes the new Spider-Man. Great characters and backstories that were handled very well did the movie justice and keeps you invested for the whole movie. This film should win best animated picture at the Oscars, and yes that means beating Incredibles 2. The characters, script, story, and comedy all blend together to make a great super hero movie and one that anyone of any age will enjoy watching.

So, Rouge One: A Star Wars Story is a very good movie that does have very noticeable flaws that any audience member could see. That is what hurts this movie because we went through the prequels and we expect that the filmmakers take those lessons and clean up those problems. It’s not saying this movie suffers from it but we as fans can see it way more easily because if this. Lastly, what this movie lacked the most was the complex, well-developed and relatable characters. The problem with this is that those characters are what made Star Wars what it is today and why it held in such high esteem today in the film industry today. But, this movie is the best Star Wars prequel we have ever gotten and delivers with its action and arguably one of the best Star Wars ending ever! Because of all these great things going on, and Darth Vader’ minimal but impactful scenes.

So this movie is truly Shyamalan returning to what he does best like in the early 2000’s when he was thought to be the next Speilberg. But a string of terrible movies like The Last Airbender derailed those thoughts. Now, it feels like he has finally listened to the fans who said that they want to see him do his old stuff, which in this case is thrillers that are suspenseful. This film engages you from the start and you are **** in to the plot and story. McAvoy shines in this movie and brings it to a whole new level with his performance, he really brings these different personalities to life. All of these personalities feel like a totally different character each time you see them and that is very difficult for an actor to do. The character of Kevin is played close to perfection by McAvoy, please put this man in the Oscar conversation for 2017! Split is truly M. Knight Shyamalan returning to form and delivered on a very suspenseful movie that has you on the edge of your seat. This movie has a great performance by James McAvoy who steals the show in one of his best performances. I will say that if you aren’t really into thrillers or certain aspects of Shyamalan films you won’t really be a fan of this movie. But, if you were a fan of his early work you will be pleasantly surprised and excited to see him returning to what he does best.

Wahlberg gives a very heartfelt performance that really lets you see how these officers were effected by this event and how much they had to go through while this manhunt was going on. The conflict in the story comes into play when the FBI comes to Boston and there seems to be a battle over jurisdiction. The Boston police are conducting their own investigation but since it was thought to be terrorism the FBI feels it is now under their jurisdiction. Throughout the movie you see the two sides working their own ways. The Boston police are out on the streets trying to find leads in order to find the terrorists. All the actors who are playing roles on both sides do an amazing portraying how important it was to everybody that these terrorists be caught. J.K. Simmons is also in this movie and he does a great supporting role in being a small comic relief because this movie does have a lot of emotional weight to it. J.K. Simmons character gives you a few seconds to breathe and that really benefits the movie. The way the movie benefits is that the movie could’ve been too caught up in the emotion that the movie would be very hard to get through. Next, the two actors who played the terrorists did a very good job, particularly the one playing the younger brother. He showed the other side of the two that really wasn’t sure if what they were doing was right. Lastly, the acting in this movie is very good and every actor gives a emotional and deep performance. This is one of, if not the best, performance Mark Wahlberg has given since The Fighter. Wahlberg does an amazing job of really showing the human side of the all the officers who were there to respond to the bombings. I’m hoping to see Oscar talks for his performance because he deserves it. All in all Patriots Day is one of the best Mark Wahlberg performances I have ever seen and deserves Oscar consideration for this role. But truly what this movie is about is people coming together ad working towards a goal. Because when they finally catch the terrorists it is because the FBI and Boston Police are finally working together and as a result they catch the men responsible. Also, be ready to shed a tear during this movie because the emotion from the actors just resonates so much that you can’t help but feel emotional with them because you feel the weight of the events during the movie.

What was great about this movie is the overall experience you get in the theatre while watching this movie. Very few animated kids movies do a good job of appealing to kids and adults and put them in seats. To me, for the longest time, Pixar was the only one who could do this. But I am so pleased to say that this movie is great and enjoyable for kids and adults. The humor appeal to both sides without going to far to one side and you keep getting **** into the comedy of the movie. Another funny part about this movie is that it is very self aware of what it is and of the character of Batman recently. The movie does bring up some points about the not-so-great parts about Batman and addresses them. It is very cool that the studio not only allowed them to do that, but also doing it in a very effective way. Will Arnett rocks it as this version of Batman, he’s a huge narcissist and thinks he’s all that because he’s Batman which was really funny for the whole audience while I was in the theatre. This movie being as funny as it is does lend itself to the flaws I had with the movie. In that, because the humor of the movie never lets up with the humor and it’s joke after joke. This leads to the first problem, while you do laugh at every joke and it is funny the jokes never have time to fully sink in because you are being presented so many jokes. Not saying this hurts the comedy, but you could become worn out from all the jokes being thrown at you, but it still is funny all around. This leads me to my biggest issue with the movie, and that’s the sudden shift in tone in a part of the movie. There is a whole family dynamic part to the movie which was very out of the blue. What I mean by that is that I found myself cracking up and then suddenly watching something about family. Not saying it was bad but it just is a very sharp turn and I feel could’ve been done a lot more efficient than how it was done in the movie.

The great parts about this movie really come into play when they get to the girlfriend’s home. From the start, you know there’s something not right about this family and creepy things are going on in the house while they are there. The suspense generated as the movie goes on and really keeps you invested. This is done by learning more about the characters physcologically and not just their backgrounds. You go through this whole and you see how messed up the concept of this movie is and how screwed up the girl’s parents are. But, the movie doesn’t beat you over head with the horror or suspense, there is good humor in the movie that doesn’t derail the movie and gives a god break from the suspense. Too much of that can make it feel more like generic horror movie and that isn’t what stands out today. The good humor in place makes this movie stand out even more and keeps you invested in the film. It’s hard to review this movie without spoilers so I’ll just talk about the cinematography for the last part. The suspense generated from the camera work is amazing, by that I mean some of the simple parts gives you even more ideas of something not right. One example is actually from the tailer when he goes to give the guy a fist bump but the guy jus grabs his hand like a handshake. The close-up of the hands gives this subtle idea that the people who work at this house are not normal and that there is something on at this house that can’t be good in any way.

John Wick Chapter 2 does a great job at building the world established in the first John Wick. By that I mean you learn a lot more about new people and places that you saw in the previous film. For example, you learn more about the Continental Hotel and more of the rules that are in place when people like John stay there. Little details like that really open this world up to interpretation and a possible cinematic universe that could branch off from the background we got in this movie. While you are following John Wick the entire time, the scale of this movie is much larger than the first. In that you visit a lot more places around the world unlike the first film that was primarily based in New York for the whole movie. The expansion, in scale, really benefited the movie because you got a look more into John’s past and who he’s interacted with throughout his time as a hitman. The filmmaking on display in this movie is something that all action movie directors and actors need to take notes on. This is some of the best action filmmaking I’ve ever seen. This really comes to light in this movie because of Keanu Reeves and his physical acting with the stunt work he does in this movie. While there are parts that a stunt double was needed, you clearly see that for a ton of those fight scenes it is Keanu doing a lot of the stunts himself. It is so refreshing to see and actor who can do his own stunts and isn’t afraid to be physical with his role. This also translated to amazing editing of the movie with a lack of cuts and shaky cam that makes your eyes hurt. This puts less stress on the director, a former stuntman, and allows them create these amazing action sequences without a variety of cuts and allows the audience to see the action. It’s so hard today to find an action movie that does that all that because many actors are incapable of doing their own stunts. This movie was a breath of fresh air with the amazing filmmaking on display with all of the one-take action scenes that the audience is in awe while watching. John Wick Chapter 2 is an amazing sequel and Keanu gives another amazing performance as the hitman himself. Some of the best on-screen action I’ve ever seen while sitting in the theatre. The filmmaking on display is great and John Wick Chapter 2 is a more than fitting sequel to John Wick.

The best parts of this film come from the characters and you feeling like you are seeing their relationship develop as the movie goes on. That’s why this feels so much like the Breakfast Club because it’s this group of people who would never hang out be brought together and see they are more alike then they think. I couldn’t believe the time the film gave to the development of these characters and how relatable they are. Since this movie hinges on how good these characters are I am happy they gave an amazing update that I always wanted to see. These characters feel way more realistic than the perfect role model characters of the original show. The best parts of this movie come from the scenes where the characters are just sitting with each other and becoming closer as a team. Now, this movie is an amazing Power Rangers movie but it has very noticeable flaws that brought it down a couple notches for me. First, Elizabeth Banks as Rita Repulsa was something that brought this movie down. The tone that this movies sets up is totally contradicted by Banks’ betrayal of the character. While she does a fine job, she goes over-the-top, old-school Power Rangers acting with Rita and hurts the tone of the film. You see all of these other actors giving their all and committing to a more serious tone, but Rita is going over-the-top and confused me throughout her whole time on screen. Now this isn’t saying she’s bad, but I would’ve rather seen the movie either give me all out cheesy like the show or go the serious route and betray Rita like a real-life villain that wasn’t like the old show. Rita was a suitable villain for the movie but could confuse the audience in terms of the tone of the movie. So, Power Rangers isn’t a perfect movie and has very noticeable flaws. But, if you look back at the source material this movie gives a great update to the beloved franchise. The conflicting tones set by characters can be overlooked with how well the source material was handled. You clearly see they were trying to make a movie and not just a cash grab by fans of the source material. So, while this movie has very noticeable flaws, if you walk into this movie knowing that it is just a Power Rangers movie you will walk out entertained and happy with the movie. Without a doubt, this is the best representation of the Power Rangers we have ever in a cheesy, Breakfast Club like, movie.

What I loved about this movie is that it gives much needed levity to the DC universe that the audience was desperately craving. This levity really comes from Diana and how she tries to understand the world she is now in, which leads to some very funny scenes. The funniest scenes come from Diana when she tries to interact with people and Steve Trevor has to step in to stop her from sounding crazy. These scenes really give great moments that allow the audience to have a break, but not an unnecessary, from the action. What was great about the levity in this movie was that it felt like it was natural and not forced on the audience and came straight from a good script and screenplay. What I mean by this is, for example, Suicide Squad had comedy but it was forced on us because of all the reshoots that happened after production. While the action was fun to watch and had me on the edge of my seat, I would say the cinematic value could’ve been better. By that I mean that there is a lot of slow-mo used in the action sequences which took me out of it in a few moments. There were fight scenes I felt didn’t need to be slow-mo and quick angle changes, but that could be due to things out of the control of the stunt team. I would’ve just liked to see some smoother action scenes and less slow-mo because I find it better to follow if I can see seamless action filmmaking. Lastly, the final fight is very mystical and is very reliant on CGI and just took me out of the WW1 feel of the movie and felt like this battle could take place anywhere. DC finally has a hit in its universe and has given the movie that their fans have wanted since Man of Steel. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and bought into the characters immediately from the start. DC may have finally figured out what makes a great origin movie, a good script and a focused story. This is the first DC movie that was allowed to be set back in time and be its own story, not having the only purpose of connecting to the DC universe.

I know this movie is supposed to be a dumb, fun, summer comedy. While the movie is self-aware of this, it even failed to land some of the comedy that should’ve the center point of the whole movie. Meaning that there are certain jokes that didn’t land and they just kept going which made me even role my eyes. When a comedies jokes don’t land and go on too long it’s a sign that the movie is becoming more dumb than fun. The comedy shouldn’t have annoyed me, meaning that bad jokes just went on for too long or didn’t lead to better jokes. While the movie is self-aware, and kind of fun, it fails on a comedic level that makes movies like this enjoyable for audiences who will see this movie. Some people might find the raunchy comedy really funny if that’s what they like, but if you, in general, like comedies you might not be laughing as much as you thought you would be during this movie.

To start off, this movie has a way different feeling than the previous Thor movies, and it pays off in every way. This movie is first and foremost a comedy that is accompanied with great action sequences. The first Thor movies didn’t have this framework and focused more on the conflicts and action, with very little comedy throughout either movie. The jokes in this movie land well almost every time and keeps you vested throughout the whole movie. I enjoyed that this Thor movie in that it felt like the scale of the MCU increased a ton with the new planets involved and new characters that give history to Thor’s world. The comedy being in the forefront gives this movie a great advantage because it feels different from its predecessors and can bring in a new audience because it’s so funny and enjoyable to watch, and rewatch when it comes out on blu-ray. Lastly, the side characters in this movie offered great comedic moments to, which is hard to so with characters like that. The new villain, Hela, was also a standout to me because she was one of the more compelling villains that the MCU has had in a while. While the MCU has great heroes, their villains have never been on the same level as other villains, like the Joker. I would have to say I enjoyed seeing a different villain in the MCU that not only is acted well, but actually is given a clearer motivation than others. For example, there is a part in the movie where she reveals some secrets about Asgard and it hits you because you sort of can see things Hela’s way and why she is dong whats she’s doing. Having clear cut, and understanding, motivations makes Hela an MCU villain that is above average compared to other Marvel villains throughout the years. This film is pretty great all around, but there are some nitpicks to talk about. First off, some of the CGI could’ve been cleaned up a little better, like the bad guy at the beginning of the film Thor fights before Hela. Also, a lot of this movie was improved, from reports, and it does show in certain scenes that they let the actors just go off and talk. This is by no means a bad thing, but there were some points I could easily tell what was written in the script and what wasn’t. This made it feel like two different movies at some points because, to me, it felt obvious what was improvised and actually in the script. Lastly, I didn’t like how how the last joke was delivered, the last moment of the movie is built up as this dramatic moment and it should’ve been that way. But, the joke took away from what could’ve been a powerful, dramatic moment for Thor. In the end, Marvel has another hit on its hands and gives audiences a fun experience. Along with delivering a Thor movie that feels like what the previous Thor movies should’ve been like all along. I enjoyed this movie from beginning to end and was laughing throughout while having a good time.

To start off, Edgar Wright’s writing and directing style shines so brightly in this movie. The look and feel of the world created in this movie is both stylistic and very realistic in terms of what a city today looks like. The sets had a very artistic feel and showcased art that would be found all around cities today, making you feel even more immersed in this movie. Edgar Wright proves yet again that he is a master of scenery with how amazing the display of color and joy of the city. In movies today, I feel that we only see darker colors, only to get a grim display and unrealistic feel of what it is like in a nice city during the day. The car chase scene were the marvel of this movie and have you on the edge of your seat during the entire movie. every car chase scene is practical and the stunts are amazing to watch. The use of practical stunts made for a more realistic feel and gave grit to the movie. It wasn’t over bloated like certain car chase movies are made today. For example, while I love the Fast and Furious films, the car scenes got increasingly ridiculous and just weren’t believable at all. For Baby Driver, you believe every second that someone is driving that car and no CGI crap was put in to try and trick you. I appreciate filmmaking like that, the use of practical stunts when they can be used is a great money saver and payoff for the movie and audience. While all the performances and characters were directed and played very well, there was one character that didn’t sit well with me. That was Bats, played by Jamie Foxx, because this character was good but had me annoyed almost every time he was on screen. That’s not to say Jamie Foxx didn’t own every scene he was in, but every time he was on screen, he killed someone. The heartlessness of the character was just something I couldn’t enjoy and I found the worst character in the movie. What set me over the edge was a certain part in the movie where Bats almost killed someone Baby really cared about. Like I said, Jamie Foxx is in no way bad at all, it’s just his character had no payoff and lacked even a lick of compassion that we like to see in bad characters. The one thing that could make or break this movie for some people is the love story between Baby and Debora. I can see some people buying into it completely and enjoying it for the entire movie. But, there are some parts that feel forced, particularly with how fast the two characters find love for each other. That might turn some people away from the movie and cause them to not enjoy the movie as much as others might. While I did buy into the love story, some people might find it hard to believe and become invested in throughout the movie. The reason this is the make or break point for this movie is because it’s one of those subplots that some will say could’ve been completely removed. If it had been removed, we still would’ve gotten a pretty good heist movie but some probably would’ve felt as if there was no payoff for Baby at the end if they cut the love story. So, that’s up to you when you see the movie whether to be invested in the love story or not. Edgar Wright shows once again he is one of the best directors working today. His direction and writing are perfect for this movie and the have your eyes glued to the screen throughout. The performances are spot on, the music great and car chases thrilling. Baby Driver gives originality to a genre that has been done over and over again has one of the most investing stories in a genre that is very limited in some ways. As much as I adore Logan in 2017, I would say Baby Driver now takes the title of best movie of 2017 in my book.

For starters, this movie is a technological marvel and will hold up for years to come. The CGI of the apes is nothing short of amazing and you never think it’s CGI, you believe those are actual animals with personalities. Even the camerawork makes it even more believable, because you get close ups of these apes and the apes don’t look any less believable which is very hard to do with CGI. The use of real sets and how seamlessly it blends with the CGI is another marvel because in many movies today I can easily see were CGI has been placed, but this movie does a marvelous job of using both practical and digital affects. Lastly, the king of motion capture, the man, the myth, the legend Andy Serkis! What else can I say about this man that hasn’t already been said about him in these movies. The man gives another Oscar worthy performance as Caesar and shows a totally different dynamic of the character. You see through his performance that Caesar is in a totally different place and has just had it with settling with the humans and fights only to protect his kind. Andy Serkis brings this character to life yet again through his great emotional movements and expressions he brings to life as the king of motion capture. You also see Andy Serkis bring all new, damaged, aspects of the character. You see Caesar still trying to cope with the events of Dawn that Koba caused and him still thinking about what could’ve been if they didn’t happen. You also see a scene where Caesar make a decision that goes against all of his ideals, but you find a way to agree with this decision, and Caesar acknowledges that it’s his own flaw. Andy Serkis deserves an Oscar nomination for this performance, while he probably won’t get one he solidifies himself as one of the best actors in the business. Andy Serkis will forever be the king of all apes only known as Ceasar. I thought that this movie was a compete masterpiece, but I did have to nitpick some things for the sake of this review. To start off, towards the end while the apes are attempting a mission a lot of conveniences happened so the plan is taking shape. While that cliche is used in almost every movie, it was a little too obvious while I watching the movie. Secondly, the little girl in the movie, while she did a fine job I couldn’t say she was irreplaceable. This being because a kid actor who has to speak with the performance is, to me, automatically compared to Dafne Keen in Logan. When I compared the two performances, Keen’s performance kills the other girls performance, she did do a good job but didn’t shine as much as Keen did in Logan for a child actor. Lastly, I would have to say that Battle for the Planet of the Apes would’ve been a better title because war isn’t the main focus of the story, more like a significant part in the third act that the movie led to. The last little problem I had with this movie was the act **** human character in the movie. Don’t get me wrong, I love being with Caesar more than with humans. But, in the first two, you saw certain human characters that made the decision of siding with either the apes or humans harder for me as I was watching the movies. In this movie, it is a little more black and white on who you should side with because there aren’t any humans that you see have compassion for the apes and try to help them besides the little girl. The story could’ve benefited just from a simple look of a soldier that thinks maybe what they’re doing is wrong. The last little problem I had with this movie was the act **** human character in the movie. Don’t get me wrong, I love being with Caesar more than with humans. But, in the first two, you saw certain human characters that made the decision of siding with either the apes or humans harder for me as I was watching the movies. In this movie, it is a little more black and white on who you should side with because there aren’t any humans that you see have compassion for the apes and try to help them besides the little girl. The story could’ve benefited just from a simple look of a soldier that thinks maybe what they’re doing is wrong. I don’t want to go into huge depth about the movie because I want you to experience the movie yourself. All I say is that War for the Planet of the Apes is a masterpiece of a movie and gives you the conclusion to what now will be considered the best trilogy of the decade. You connect with Caesar more than ever, the story is investing and the performances are all great. Along with being a great action movie, the drama is in the forefront and is a great thought provoking movie.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]