Twisters: Review

 A rare disaster film that succeeds in making me care!

The story line had a lot more heart than I was expecting. I was expecting this film to be a cheesy film with no heart of character development to it whatsoever. I am so glad that I was proven wrong. The writing in this film was really good, and they managed to balance humor with heart and suspense very well. Kudos to the writers of this film.

The acting in this film was great. Glen Powell just showed that he is the next big star of the decade. That man will have success wherever he goes. Daisy Edgar-Jones managed to hold her own as well. She also has a bright future ahead of her as well. Anthony Ramos has also shown that he is a very versatile actor, and that he will be in action films for years to come. 

The visuals in this movie were so good. I knew walking into this movie that if anything, the visual effects would be good. They looked even better than I was expecting.

I am curious if they will plan a sequel to this movie at all. They have set it up for a sequel, but I can't really picture what else they can do! Maybe they will surprise me, like they did with this film.

Disaster films have lots of promise. Up until this film, Greenland was the only disaster film I liked. Hopefully this represents a turning tide for the genre!

Out of 4 stars I would give it...

4 out of 4 stars

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes: Review

 What a wonderful, if flawed, film!

The story line in this film was a lot different than I was expecting. I was expecting more of an action packed film, not more of a drama film. The film's pacing was really bad, as I almost fell asleep during the first 20 minutes of the movie. Luckily it picked up in the 2 and 3rd act. Loved the callbacks to the original Planet of the Apes film with Charlton Heston as well.

The acting was very good in this movie. Owen Teague managed to do a good job at creating his own role, and not trying to copy Andy Serkis' performance as Caesar. Freya Allan did a great job as well. I did not expect her to play as big of a role as she did, and she owned every scene she was in. Kevin Durand stole the show as Proximus Caesar, so I was very disappointed that he wasn't in the movie a lot more. William H. Macy's role was a lot different than I was expecting, and like with Kevin Durand, I was very disappointed that he didn't play a bigger role.

The film's visual effects were outstanding as usual. It is so fascinating how far motion capture has come since Lord of the Rings. For all the flaws this franchise has had over the years, the visual effects have never been a problem.

The action scenes were good, when there were some. I really wish this movie had more action scenes, as the trailer really made it look like this was going to be an action based movie. Hopefully the sequel has more of an action feel to it.

They have definitely set up a sequel. And I am genuinely curious to see where this goes in the end. I could see a sequel being much better than this one, or it could be a total dud LOL. We shall see though.

Off topic, Wes Ball just showed that he is the perfect director for the live action Legend of Zelda movie they are working on. His direction in this film showed that he will nail the setting, tone, scale, and cinematography for the film. Hopefully he has good writers helping him with that movie.

Out of 4 stars I would give it...

3 out of 4 stars

The Garfield Movie: Review

 A heartfelt but heavily predictable movie. 

The film's story line really frustrated me. While I enjoyed how much heart this film had to it, it was so predictable, and it did not feel like a Garfield movie, outside of the montage of why Garfield hates Mondays. Jon's story line was the only thing that felt like it was ripped right out of the original comic book story lines as well. Odie was way too smart in this movie also, he is supposed to be a highly dimwitted dog.

The voice acting was solid. Chris Pratt was perfect as Garfield, and Nicholas Hoult was great as Jon Arbuckle. Samuel L. Jackson and Ving Rhames were entertaining as well.

I really wish they had more characters from the comic like Nermal, Arlene, and the mailman. Liz was way too underused as well. I really was not a fan of the new characters, and I did not like the fact that it didn't really show more of Garfield being the fat, lazy cat that he is.

If a sequel is made, I want the story line to feel like it got ripped right out of the comic, in other words, I do not want a story line at all. I want it to almost feel like Napoleon Dynamite, with it just being Garfield having a casual day, and maybe show a montage of Jon on dates with Liz.

This may sound controversial, but I preferred the live action Garfield movies over this movie. I loved Bill Murray as Garfield more than Chris Pratt, and I loved that Garfield and Odie felt more like their comic book counterparts in the live action films. I also liked that Liz has a lot of screen time as well.

Overall, predictable and frustrating, but the film's heart, animation, certain bits of humor, and voice acting make it somewhat watchable.

Out of 4 stars I would give it...

2.5 out of 4 stars 

Inside Out 2: Review

 Inside Out 2 is a thrilling, and emotional film that is on par with the first film.

The story line was so much different than I was expecting. I did not expect it to take place in just a few days, but at the same time cover as much as they did. I loved that it showed the stress of not being around your best friends anymore, as I've had similar situations happen to me over the course of my life. I also really liked that they showed how much anxiety can affect people, especially when they are starting to go through puberty. Loved all the hockey sequences as well, it fit so well.

The voice acting was absolutely stellar. Amy Poehler has still got it as the voice actress of Joy. Phyllis Smith was still as charming as ever as the voice actress of Sadness. Lewis Black once again stole the show as Anger, always laughed at his one liners. Tony Hale and Liza Lapira were perfect as the new voices of Fear and Disgust, couldn't even notice a difference between them, and the original actors. Maya Hawke continues to show that she has a bright future ahead of her. Maya was absolutely perfect as Anxiety.

The humor and heart of this film rivaled that of the first film. I was so impressed at how they managed to balance both of these elements once again in a movie like this. A lot of the moments felt so relatable, and I was laughing, cringing, and nearly crying due to how much I could relate to Riley in this film.

The series still has plenty of room for a sequel. There are so many directions that this could go in, and as long as it is well written, I will be there. This was the best Pixar film I have seen in theaters since Toy Story 4, and it is right up there as one of my top 5 Pixar films of all time.

Out of 4 stars I would give it...

4 out of 4 stars

A Quiet Place: Day One: Review

 A Quiet Place: Day One keeps the heart of the franchise without sacrificing a good story line and solid jump scares.

The story line was much different than I was expecting. I had no idea that they were going to focus on a lady that had terminal cancer. But it added so much heart to the movie. I was also glad that they actually showed the boat incident that was mentioned in the last film. I was also glad that the characters were not making stupid decisions in this movie also.

The acting was solid. Joseph Quinn knocked it out of the park in his role, and I love how versatile he is becoming as an actor. Lupita Nyong'o was solid as well. I was really disappointed that Djimon Hounsou didn't play a bigger role in this movie, that's about the only complaint I really have with this movie. The cat in this movie was funny also.

The jump scares in this movie got me pretty good. Them setting the story line in New York City reminded me of I Am Legend. The atmosphere was very tense, as you never knew where those creatures were going to be hiding. One of the jump scares got me good, and I almost flew back in my seat at one point.

I am so excited for the next film with Emily Blunt, Noah Jupe, and Millicent Simmonds. I am also hoping that Cillian Murphy will return, as his character is still my favorite in the series. It would also be neat if Joseph Quinn's character ends up playing a huge role in this film, as it would establish a great connection to the overall franchise.

Out of 4 stars I would give it...

3.5 out of 4 stars