It tries to be too much like the original "Blade Runner" in tone, mood, and presentation. But it didn't work as well for me. I'm not sure Ryan Gosling was the best person for the lead role. They needed someone to bring more energy. Having said all of that, the film is still worth seeing. I do recommend it, especially if you saw the original.
This could have been so much better, but there are too many slow sections that make the movie drag. Goslin has the same facial expressions and demeanor in almost all of his films. A little more energy would have made "First Man" 10% better.
One of the great science fiction movies of all time. Blade Runner made me feel uneasy when I first saw it in 1982. Now I see it as an ingenious idea with a somewhat flawed presentation. However, the flaws are not so profound that they detract from the great cinematic experience the film created.
A slow-developing film that allows the viewer to get to know all the characters involved, including the horse and the wolf. I wasn't sure I liked the first 90 minutes of the film, but it picks up steam from the midpoint on.
Maybe the best dramatization of the final days of the Third Reich. I think "Downfall" is a monumental achievement in acting, direction, writing, production, and editing.
It's hard to believe that I once thought "The Longest Yard" was entertaining. 50 years later, I see it as one of the worst movies I've ever seen. It is sexist, racist, stupid, poorly written, directed, and acted.
Just because a story is film-worthy doesn't mean it should be made into a film. "The 24th" is too doom and gloom to really enjoy. For me, seeing it only reinforced how hateful and cruel we humans can be.
"Midnight Cowboy" conveys the grittiness and weirdness of New York better than any movie before 1969. Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight are Oscar-worthy in their roles. But the Academy was hell-bent on handing the award to an undeserving John Wayne for "True Grit. Midnight Cowboy isn't necessarily a great movie, but it's one every film-lover should see. It is still the only X-rated movie to be awarded the Oscar for Best Picture.
"To Sir, with Love" is the first film depicting a Black person overseeing White people. However, Sidney Poitier's character is not portrayed racially. He is simply a teacher in charge of a classroom of young students. Any Hollywood star could have played Poitier's character word-for-word without changing anything in the plot. The classroom and the viewing audience accepted Poitier from start to finish, without question. That is one of the main reasons the film is such a classic. The song helps, too.
One of the great war productions of all time. "The Longest Day" takes on the monumental task of retelling the story of D-Day. It doesn't get everything right. And the acting is often too whimsical. But it does a great job in conveying the enormous undertaking of the invasion. I watch this film about once every 3 or 4 years.
Back in the late 70s, "Grease" was the rage. It was fun, nostalgic, and had a great score. Today, some people think the plot is sexist and mean-spirited, and I can see why they might think that. However, my opinion of it hasn't changed. It is still my favorite musical of all time.
Gene Hackman plays one of the great characters in one of the greatest thrillers of all time. I have been watching "The French Connection" every 5 years or so since it came out in 1971. It is Still a masterpiece,
I liked "Wicked: for Good" more than I liked "Wicked." But it still felt overwritten and maybe a little overproduced. The last 20 minutes felt like forever. One too many songs and one too many goodbyes proved to be the film's downfall after such a rousing start. On the positive side, the performances were great. And the costumes and sets were a wonder to behold.
The animation is A+++++. But the story is a little too convoluted, especially for kids. Also, the story's premise didn't have to be so diabolical. You don't always need evil villains. Sometimes the problem can be a simple misunderstanding, resolved with a dramatic solution.
For the first 90 minutes, Nashville is a masterpiece with great performance, lots of humor, and a sense of Americana in the 70s. But it peters out by the end. It has one or two too many songs, and a climatic scene thats extremely unrealistic.
Where did they get the gas, food, electricity, clean water, soap, guns, bullets? What business is still making that stuff, and how do they get it to the surviving people without getting hijacked? A complete waste of time.
"Marty Supreme" is a cross between "Anora" (which I hated) and "The Wolf of Wall Street." It is loud, obnoxious, mean-spirited, and completely unrealistic. Timothee Chalamet is a good actor with a wide range of emotions, and he embodies his character. He is the primary reason to see this movie.
"Hamnet" beats the same drum, the same way, all the way through. The acting was good, although a little overcooked. Chloe Zhao's direction was heavy-handed. I can hear her telling the actors, "I want more emotion, more passion, more, more, more..." At one point, more became too much. However, I would still recommend "Hamlet" to viewers interested in a serious, adult drama.
The Exorcist is, without a doubt, the most intense film that I have ever witnessed at the movies. The theater was packed, quiet, on edge. You could feel the tension in the room. The dramatic scenes were met with screams, gasps, and growls from the audience that I had never heard before or since. A couple of ladies ran out of the theater. I felt dread every time the camera panned toward the room where the girl was staying. After the movie, the patrons exited the theater exalting their experience. It took me a while to watch "The Exorcist" again. It remains the scariest horror film of all time.
Why even make a movie like this? What was the purpose? It isn't entertaining, and the story has no relevance. There are so many noisy movies these days that when a quiet one comes along, people bend over backward to praise it.
"Jay Kelly" is too syrupy, schmarzy, and Oscar-baitish. I didn't care for any of the characters. They were heartless, and their motivations didn't make sense. This is a forgettable piece of tear-jerking cinema.
The performances in "Bugonia" are great, and the writing is creative. However, it ultimately feels like just another weird and violent film, joining the ranks of many weird and violent films released over the past decade. It seems that "Bugonia" reflects the weird and violent society we have become.
Good performances. But, the relationships between the players in the film weren't clearly defined. I felt the script and the direction needed to be tighter.
Great sets. Great production. But the writing was subpar, and the acting was strangely over-performed. I expected more from del Toro. They could have edited a few talky scenes and replaced them with a couple of scenes showing the young Victor Frankenstein developing his craft.
Additionally, I didn't quite understand the niece's quick emotional disdain for Victor Frankenstein or her affection for the monster. Her character was unpleasant. I couldn't understand why anyone would be attracted to her. Overall, I didn't like the finished product, although I respect the effort that went into it.
Christopher Nolan has a devoted fanbase that tends to praise nearly everything he creates. "Interstellar" is a good, thoughtful, and sophisticated film; however, it is also quite convoluted. Nolan appears unable to make a straightforward, linear movie. He seems fixated on jumping back and forth in time, treating time as an obstacle to telling a great story. Having said that, I think "Interstellar" is his 3rd best film. "The Dark Knight", "Oppenheimer," Dunkirk," and especially "Inception" are overrated. Only "Memento" and "The Dark Knight Returns" are better.
You will be on the edge of your seat, holding your breath, in the first hour. But after that, the story becomes a cowardly exercise in filmmaking. You can't have a legitimate story without an ending. Five more minutes could have made this a classic.
A technically superb film that goes a little bit over the top. I thought Sean Pean oversold his role. DiCaprio was decent, but I've seen him play this type of personality before in "Don't Look Up." The best thing about the film was newcomer Chase Infiniti. She stole every scene that she was in. The 3rd act was worth the price of admission.
A tight, suspenseful, triumph. No words are wasted. No scenes are unnecessary. No performance is forgettable. "The Omen" is one of the great horror stories of all time.
Spike Lee and Denzel Washington team up for the fifth time. I would rank "Highest 2 Lowest" as their second-best collaboration, behind only "Malcolm X."
Two outstanding performances by James Earl Jones and Jane Alexander. But the movie couldn't get past the feeling of a staged play. I wanted to love this film. I've watched it 3 times over the last 50 years. But it doesn't quite live up to its potential.
A charming, old-fashioned, comic book movie. You might walk out of the theater with a smile. However, if you have been a Fantastic Four fan for 60 years, like I have, you might feel a little disappointed. Everything felt rushed. They didn't take the time to fully develop the characters or the story. Marvel missed a golden opportunity.
This didn't do it for me at all. Maybe it was a little too juvenile for my taste. I'm not sure what I was expecting. I thought Lois Lane was portrayed in an unbelievable way. The best part was Kryto.
Strangely, I thought Daniel Day-Lewis was miscast in this film. Conversely, Michelle Pfeiffer was outstanding. I don't think this film was as great as the critics would have you believe, but it was worth my two hours.
If you have never seen the animated version, "How to Train Your Dragon" might be a 9 or a 10. But if you have seen the animated version, this doesn't add much to the story. However, the visual effects are breathtaking.
I guess the message is that it's better for us to enjoy life and music together as vampires than to spend our lives hating each other because of our differences. It's too bad the movie didn't find a more sophisticated way to convey this idea. I never did connect the first half of the film with the second half.
Snow White has its heart in the right place, but the plot comes up short. Gal Gadot is miscast. Rachel Ziegler does a fine job in her role. She has a beautiful voice.
Great visuals, but a horrible script and bad direction. The actor who played Kang gave it his all, but the character wasn't well-defined. This may be the end of the Ant-Man franchise.
I good, tight, thrilling, well written and well directed account of the ABC network's controversial television coverage of the 1972 Munich Olympics terrorist attack. Highly recommended.
Great performance by a talented cast, especially from Timothee Chalamet who plays Bob Dylan and Monica Barbaro who plays Joan Baez. This is the best biopic musical since "Respect" in 2022, starring Jenifer Hudson.
A good story, good screenplay, good acting, tension throughout. But they didn't need the singing and dancing. Why are movies nowadays so quirky. This could have been a 10.
