Search the site...

COLME AARON
  • Movie Reviews
  • Yearly Top 10
    • Top Movies of 2021
    • Top Movies of 2020
    • Top Movies of 2019
    • Top Movies 2018
  • About
  • Movie Reviews
  • Yearly Top 10
    • Top Movies of 2021
    • Top Movies of 2020
    • Top Movies of 2019
    • Top Movies 2018
  • About

Movies In RevIew

Birds of Prey - Review

2/8/2020

Comments

 
Picture
Release Date: ​February 7, 2020
An Appalling Joke

​The DCEU has been a mess. With seven movies under its belt, it's nowhere near building anything cohesive for hardcore fans to latch on to. If we're honest, there is only one film that deserves praise, and it's Wonder Woman. So can another female-led, female-directed project reach those same heights? Birds of Prey seems to be coasting on that question as it barely avoids the absolute lows of being another Suicide Squad. 

The best thing about this movie is Ewan McGregor. His portrayal of the beloved character Black Mask is fantastic as his energy electrifies every scene he's in. Early on, it looks like he's having a great time while being eccentric, and it comes across very well. Margot Robbie also does an ok job playing Harley Quinn. She has nailed down this interpretation of the character, which just seems right at this point. The last person that wasn't offensive was Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Black Canary. Her performance didn't elicit any negative feelings as the part was played relatively straight. Like with most of the characters, the actual acting wasn't the problem that I had with the film.
All my grievances can be attributed to the script and editing. The first blatantly obvious setup of the movie is that it divides the women and men from each other. Not literally, but it basically creates two pens to hold the characters in, one labeled 'Good' and the other labeled 'Bad'. Even when you have Harley Quinn, a mass murderer, and certifiable villain, the film sticks her in the 'Good' pen. Only men are labeled as bad since little is done to develop these characters from being more than one dimensional. It helps make the 'Girl Power' message easier to implement as this plays more like a generic low budget affair than what's expected of a 'comic book movie'.

Another point of extreme pain for me was Casandra Cain, played by Ella Jay Basco. Her performance could have been edited weirdly or just didn't fit with the overall tone that the film, but it was horrible. Her line delivery and acting was cringe-worthy as it never seemed like she belonged with everyone else. It's a shame because the character is in most of the movie. Somehow, this major grievance isn't the worst thing either. 

Black Mask, for the uninitiated, is an iconic villain for Batman. So debuting him in an offshute picture seemed fine to develop his origin story. What I don't apprieciate is how the ending handles him as a character. The amount of disrespect and laziness that this 'girl power' shitshow uses to wrap him up, visibly shocked me in the theater. I couldn't believe what just happened. 

Aside from characters and acting, Birds of Prey fails to be the fun light-hearted romp that it thinks it is. The situations that characters get into are low stakes until the very end, and almost none of the humor hits. The structure in which the story is told is entirely wrong, and a more traditional style would have helped for overall pacing and intrigue. There just isn't that much fun being had as most of the runtime focuses on voice over and scenes dedicated to driving home the 'girl power' message. 

Birds of Prey was bad, boring, and at the end, very upsetting. The vibe that was promised, a fun picture about women winning and men losing was only half delivered as there was nothing fun about it. The failure to capture the tone was the fault of editing, specific performances, and the horrible use of music. Some might take offense to how beloved characters were changed, but I personally was only affronted by how Black Mask was treated at the end. If you go see this, you're either a DCEU fan that thinks Batman v. Superman and Justice League are good movies or an agenda-pushing person that might not even see this at all. To everyone else, stay far away from the theater as the hope of interesting action sequences will fail you just like this picture did when it promised to be interesting.
2/10
The 'girl power' message is thrown out the window when a female character uses their connection to a male character as protection and abuses that

Comments

The Gentlemen - Review

1/24/2020

Comments

 
Picture
Release Date: ​January 24, 202
An Absolute Blast

​​I have developed a fondness for Guy Ritchie's films. Even when the general public and critics dismiss one of his projects, I've still found them to be addictive. So picture my excitement when I learned he was doing another film and an original idea at that. I knew that even if his latest movie didn't tickle critics or audiences, I would still have a great time. But it looks like everyone wins as The Gentlemen is not only fantastic, it's the most enjoyable time I've had at the theater in months. 

When I think of a Guy Ritchie movie, I can see the editing, the humor, and the storytelling all wrapped together. The Gentlemen is somehow an outsider from the group as it maintains all of the markings while still being a standout. The grace in which it presents itself is familiar but seems to be a cut above the rest. I am happy to say that this might be Ritchie's best work, as the results are electric. All of the pieces that bring this picture together move in harmony as they meld into a euphoric crescendo. This means that everything from the acting to the editing just works. 
Since I brought up acting, the cast is a phenomenal ensemble of familiar faces that delight. Standouts include Hugh Grant—cause of course, Charlie Hunnan, and Colin Farrel. They bring life to the film as they all play their parts to a tee. Grant appropriately chews the scenery opposite Hunnam, who plays the straight man as they lead the audience through the plot while being inner cut by everyone else. It's when Farrel pops up and elevates the mood with his relaxed demeanor, a feat only aptly described as an oxymoron, when everything is working at it's best.

There isn't anything special about the cinematography or score, but they don't hinder the quality of the overall picture. There is a small story beat that ends oddly, but nothing else comes to mind when I think of egregious problems. In no way am I suggesting that The Gentlemen is without faults, but the enjoyment to be had far outweigh any slight transgressions that it may embody. 

I would consider The Gentlemen one of the best of the year. I know it's early, although I'll be surprised if I don't see it on my top 10 list at the end. It might just be a taste thing as the film doesn't seem to have universal praise; it indulges in very British vocabulary and mannerisms, which are aspects I adore. Though, it could also be that it's a Guy Ritchie movie, and his style isn't for everyone. All of these considerations aside, I cannot deny how much fun and charm this picture has.
7.5/10
I promise its incredible
Comments

Bad Boys for Life - Review

1/16/2020

Comments

 
Picture
Release Date: ​January 17, 202
Another 'Modern' 90s Movie

​When promoting the latest installment in the Bad Boys franchise, Will Smith talked about how he wanted to bring it back since 'every franchise was getting a reboot'. He then proceeded to promise that it would be worth it. That alone made me suspicious of Bad Boys for Life, and for good reason. While it did end up surprising me, you've seen what this movie has to offer. So unless you're bored or need the nostalgia trip, there isn't a need to see this in theaters. 

I thought we moved past the 'old guys are being replaced by people that have tEcNoLoGy' as a trope, but I was mistaken. The element doesn't play as big of a part as I suspected it did, but it needs to stop. There are a couple more dated tropes that the movie utilized, and they're all as effective as that first one. What caught me off guard was how they were utilized. There seemed to be restraint, whereas other pictures have gone overboard with it. That helps to make the movie more palatable, bringing it up from trash to just shy of mediocre.
While Bad Boys for Life won't offend anyone, at least I hope so, it doesn't inspire confidence in me. With this reboot shooting for the stars as it tries to become a regular series, it doesn't do a good enough job easing back in. Martin Lawrence was always the heart in the middle, grounding the movies in a ridiculous fake reality; by sidelining him, the movie slots into the emerging low-big budget category. This is where the John Wick series and many others reside as tentpole films have left studios with under $100 million budgets to share. The good thing is when Lawrence is on screen he does a great job being the comedic relief.relief.

I can't whole-heartedly recommend this movie. While it does do away with Michael Bay's signature shaky cam and depicts action more clearly, there just isn't enough here. If you've already seen the award season movies, then this actually might be the slight fun you need if you're bored out of your mind. It's another old franchise that started in the 90s trying to modernize, what did you expect?

4/10
There was a shot where they forgot to set the muzzle flashes to screen and it was hilarious

Comments

Underwater - Review

1/10/2020

Comments

 
Picture
Release Date: ​January 10, 202
You've Seen This Before

January is known to release a lot of small budget horror movies. They usually aren't that good but are still relatively popular. One of this year's entries is Underwater, a sci-fi horror movie that takes place... well, you know where. The surprising thing is that this is not a budget picture. With a production budget of around $80 million, this is not your typical January release. So I was definitely intrigued by how it would all come together.

I can appreciate the fact that Underwater wastes no time by jumping right into the action. Immediately the central conflict is put in play as the characters struggle to navigate their hazardous environment. The tone of impending doom is set and doesn't let up till the credits roll. What really helps to sell the ticking clock is the feeling of claustrophobia, which is achieved by sticking cameras in actors' faces. The effect is driven home by having the characters confined to small spaces for a lot of the runtime. They move from area to area, all by the skin of their teeth.
It all comes together with the production design. You can see a lot of the money on screen as the different locations feel adequately dressed. Even the suits had an air of realism to them, something that usually doesn't happen in sci-fi movies. For some of these types of pictures, the CGI can be the weakest part with some low-quality stuff. But the VFX and all of that never looked bad. A large part of that success can be attributed to the dark setting, but that's an advantage. 

Not everything was perfect as editing and story suffered multiple times, whether that included cuts that obfuscated characters doing actions, or glossing over details. That compounded with characters not having motivations other than trying not to die. Usually, there are subplots to give people depth, which causes you to hope for their survival, something that is absent here. The cherry on top was the decision to kill the black guy first. That is a little bit of a spoiler, but it's such a crazy decision that I had to point it out.

Overall, Underwater was watchable. If you find yourself needing something to see in theaters, then this could be it. I think that Kristen Stewart carries the film as the most interesting person involved. With its fairly derivative story, it's familiar but still rallies at the end. It's undoubtedly the best January horror movie I've seen.

5/10
I want the jacket that Kristen Stewart wears from the trailer
Comments

1917 - Review

1/10/2020

Comments

 
Picture
Release Date:  December 25, 2019​​​​​​​​​​​​​
War, War Never Changes

I think everyone was a bit startled when 1917 won Best Picture at the Golden Globes. Even the director, Sam Mendes, was awestruck as he went up to accept the award. It seemed like he knew most people didn't care about his film, going as far to state that he hoped the win would drive interest and that people would see it in the theater. I was definitely surprised as I had not heard much about the picture before the awards show. So at that point, I had to find out what the Hollywood Foreign Press Association saw in 1917 and how it could be declared the best of the year.

I learned of 1917's signature gimmick very recently. I think most don't know about it, but I'm forced to address it, or the readability of the review will go out the window. The trick I am talking about is the entire movie is made to look like it was filmed in one shot. Everyone else will tell you that it works exceptionally well, and other than one evident giant cut which immensely bothered me, they are correct. The undertaking to achieve this effect is not lost on me as I understand the production work required for it to be successful. 
While it might have been Mendes' idea to make the movie in this way, it was Roger Deakins who actually achieved it. 1917 has Deakin's fingerprints all over it as his signature style is on display in every image. His choice to film with natural light sources leads to mesmerizing sequences that have been spoiled in the trailer. If you decide to watch this in the theater, it will be to see his work on a big screen. I say that because other than the incredibly high production value, there isn't much else to look forward to.

1917 fails to capture the human element of war. It does a great job keeping the audience on their toes as the one-shot presentation keeps the tension high. There are moments of fear, exhaustion, and hope, all of which blend thematically with the setting, but none give you the anchor into its characters. I need more than just a goal and a coherent plot to keep me interested. When I said it had tension and all those other things, I lied. It only had those elements for some of the time, as it mostly fell flat for me. 

The driving force of the story is for two soldiers to deliver an order that would save many lives. The importance of their mission is blatant but seems to fall on deaf ears as almost everyone they meet doesn't care. That message of indifference seeped through and became the stance I took. While the script tries to give these characters humanizing moments, not much of it stuck. This disconnect comes down to how they were delivered. I could see the gears turning in the background as scenes of tension would be invalidated moments later. When plot points were being set up and then never referenced again, it felt like they were just cheap tricks.

​It all comes down to what you appreciate about the art form. I like movies because they tell interesting stories about engaging characters. 1917 doesn't have that but instead offers a project that excels in production. The fancy camera sweeps, tracking shots, and set pieces offer visually stunning sequences that are enviable. While I didn't enjoy the film that much, I can recognize great work when I see it.
6.5/10
​Without Roger Deakins, the movie would have been nothing special
Comments

Uncut Gems - Review

12/28/2019

Comments

 
Picture
Release Date:  December 25, 2019​​​​​​​​​​​​
This Can't Be Sandler, right?

Between Good Time and Uncut Gems, it seems that a Safdie brothers production entails depicting deplorable characters and having the audience root for them anyway. This tried-and-true formula comes with a presentation style that places the camera very close to its subjects. The confined and up-close portrayal creates a feeling of claustrophobia and entrenches the audience in the movie. There is no escape, and the harsh reality of the events that transpire keeps you hooked. While Good Time fits that description to a tee, Uncut Gems does depart from this style in a major way. 

In place of cameras in actors' faces, the way the same hectic and personal atmosphere is achieved comes from escalation. The ramping up of events that happen to the main character, Howard, continues to get more daunting. He is plagued by addiction for gambling, something that he does in all facets of his life. The only reason you care for Howard and want to see him succeed is Adam Sandler's performance. To be able to make such an awful person likeable is a feat. This praise extends to supporting actress Julia Fox who plays Julia. These two characters are terrible people and in no other
circumstance, could be considered palatable. 

​​That's kind of the whole movie. Disgraceful people do things that make their situations worse. As they continue to dig their own graves deeper, they keep hoping for their big break to rescue them. It's incredibly effective as by the end, I couldn't wait to see how the story concluded. I don't think I like this as much as Good Time, but Uncut Gems might just be the mainstream push for the Safdie brothers to be more recognized.
​7.5/10
​Probably the most inappropriate Christmas movie you could go see with the family
Comments

Cats - review

12/28/2019

Comments

 
Picture
Release Date:  December 25, 2019​​​​​​​​​​​
A... Cat-tastrophe

I don’t need a preamble for this movie. We all know what Cats is cause it’s a meme. The internet made a big fuss about how these cat-people look and that’s where most discussions of this film ends. So I have to be frank, I don’t think it looks that bad. I am not bothered by the CGI hair or the catification of famous people. I am indifferent to the look so it’s not something I am going to spend much time talking about.  

To be fair, there isn’t much to talk about anyways as Cats doesn’t have a plot worth dissecting. The plot chronicles introductions to a bunch of cats, and then the movie ends. All introductions and major conversations are done through song which means that there is probably about 10 minutes worth of screen time not part of a musical number. This simplicity does not bother me as I kept myself busy.

The entire time, I was looking for CGI mishaps and discrepancies. I found weird morphing on faces as entire top heads of characters shifted, there were floating feet, and much more. In the face of all of this, the only thing that truly bothered me was the scale of everything. 
 Whenever there was a wide shot of actors in a room, I could not buy into the fact that these were cat height people. So in a way, I was unoffended by Cats in general.

Now, would I recommend someone one spend the 2 hours to watch people that kinda look like cats dance around to music that isn’t very good? No. But I do have to say I wasn’t bored, just that I almost fell asleep. The almost cozy atmosphere and uninteresting plot provides a wonderful atmosphere to rest your eyes a bit. You probably shouldn’t see this film, ever. But, if you ever need to fall asleep when it comes to streaming, then it might just do the trick.
2/10
No one has the time to look into the allusions and symbolism for a play made for the 60s
Comments

Little Women - Review

12/26/2019

Comments

 
Picture
Release Date:  December 25, 2019​​​​​​​​​​
Another Classic

​I really liked Greta Gerwig's last film Lady Bird. It told a relatable coming of age story that resonated with me even though I don't fit that movie's demographic. So when I heard that Gerwig had another film coming out, an adaptation of a book that I'd never heard of—I couldn't wait to see it. As luck would have it, I don't fit the demo for this either as Little Women seems to be a story for young girls. But history seems to have repeated itself as I adore it and can confidently say it's one of the best things I've seen this year.

While sitting in the theater, I was trying to find the right adjective for Little Women. It started with the performances; I didn't want to say Saoirse Ronan was electric because that word sounds too erratic. There was a honed in focus that embodied every aspect of the film. All the performances, the cinematography, and even the score were pitch-perfect as everything molded together. The word I settled upon was 'magic' as it perfectly encapsulates what I saw on screen.​
The quaint and hominess that this movie exudes harkens back to a time of a different sensibility. Halfway through the runtime, you can tell it feels like a classic. Even though the original story came out in 1868, the film brings its message into the 21st century. Without devolving into preaching or propaganda, Little Women is able to balance its fantasy with stark realism. It even injects humor in a way to help release tension while not robbing the plot of its intensity.

​Little Woman utterly surprised me. The attention to detail, the proficiency in its craft, it all screams of a seasoned director. I think Greta Gerwig's knack for emotional literacy and her ability to craft scenes that let the audience experience the complexity of real relationships is unparalleled. While everyone is perfectly cast and there is praise to go around, I cannot stress enough how integral Gerwig was to making it all work. As director and screenwriter, this seems to be a unique vision that could have only come from her. I highly recommend the heartbreaking, funny, touching, and beautiful Little Women.
9/10
Greta Gerwig is officially one of my favorite directors

Comments

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - Review

12/20/2019

Comments

 
Picture
Release Date:  December 20, 2019​​​​​​​​​​
Star Wars Just Died

​The problem with Star Wars isn't that fans have grown up and want the same things they did as kids. Yes, there has been a weird revival in how the public sees the prequel trilogy—but that has nothing to do with the quality of those terrible movies. I believed that there would always be a couple of things that each entry in the franchise would excel at. Form the prequels to Solo, I can point to moments worth watching on YouTube or some of their great music. Trying to close the book on a 42-year-old story was a problem from the start. The Rise of Skywalker has killed Star Wars; it's officially a husk of its former self as the proliferation of Baby Yoda is its only hope. 

When The Last Jedi came out, I didn't want to admit to myself that a Star Wars film was terrible. I gave it a high score, praising what it got right and trying to ignore the filmmaking aspects that would have been bad in any other movie. Enough time has passed for me to realize my mistake, but also that it was still better than anything in the prequel trilogy. I wish I still had the blind fanaticism to shield myself from this latest installment. 
The Rise of Skywalker is offensive because it was boring; it's terrible because the plot doesn't make sense. You don't need to bring up the rest of the series to prove this is a bad movie as it dies on its own merits. For the first third, I was having flashbacks to 6 Underground and how the continuous cutting and nonstop pace made it hard to settle in for the over two-hour runtime. The Rise of Skywalker is in a hurry to get itself over and done with as its breakneck pace never slowed down. Characters are continually jumping to their next objective as so much grown has to be covered.

While trying to erase everything that The Last Jedi stood for and having its own story, The Rise of Skywalker doesn't take the time to get everything right. It's sloppy, rushed, and offensive. In the place of substance, it relies on blatant uses of nostalgia in a weaponized form. Continually using music from the original trilogy to try and cover up everything wrong with the movie. I would go, "I remember liking this song, and it meaning something." It continually mines past films as a cheap party trick, and when it finally gets to its own story, all hell breaks loose. 

The villain in this turd on fire is ridiculous. The way all of the antagonists are setup is a tragedy. The leaps in logic for Rey and her abilities in the force are unfounded. What ends up happening to certain characters is complete bullshit. Pretending like this is ok, that it would be fine to accept what has happened as normal, would be a mistake. 

It surprised me that I wasn't angry while watching this movie. I usually can get irritated if a film gets on my nerves, but that didn't happen here. I think JJ Abrams's greatest accomplishment is that the presentation is good enough, so the only emotion I had was boredom. I was utterly bored, and none of the humor worked for me. Some will say that this is a hilarious movie, but if the stakes in your film don't matter and I don't care what's happening, then I can't laugh when forced humor is thrown at me. I genuinely laughed on three separate occasions, which is very low for the sheer volume of jokes that is put in every scene.

The actors tried to do a good job with the material that they were given. I think they were collateral damage in the decisions that were being made. They, along with fans, were wronged so they should not be blamed. Just because their characters suck, doesn't mean its their fault. Please do not harass them online for the failure that is this movie.

I can't believe I'm about to say this. Rise of Skywalker is the worst movie in the Star Wars franchise. While there are tons of technical and presentation problems in the prequels, there were still aspects to them that breathed life into the franchise. The Rise of Skywalker is devoid of any magic; it doesn't feel like the same thing. I can't think of one scene that you could watch on YouTube, and all of the music is ripped out of the old movies. This is bottom barrel stuff, and I couldn't watch it again. Star Wars is dead as a movie-going experience, and while I might have to see the eventual follow-up to review, I won't take pleasure in doing it. 
2/10
There is no reason to see the movie if you are not a die hard fan, don't waste your time

Comments

6 Underground - Review

12/13/2019

Comments

 
Picture
Release Date:  December 13, 2019​​​​​​​​​​
Absolute Garbage

You thought that Micheal Bay was off his rocker when The Transformers movies started getting crazy? Well, get ready for when he actually has full control and no oversight. 6 Underground is peak Bay as explosions fill the screen, all captured by his signature sweeping camera moves. That means constant action, little story, and lots of simplified stereotypes. The end result is something that general audiences might enjoy as it barely has time to catch its breath. I feel like this movie is a horror story from Hollywood come true. The story I'm alluding to comes from a studio executive that watched a man in an airport fast forward through a film, only stopping during the action sequences. It's something only Bay could make, and Netflix could release.

In the interest of being fair, there isn't anyone else in the industry doing what Bay does on the scale that he does it. Tom Cruise gets close, but the sheer amount of practical stunt work in Bay's movies is incredible. In 6 Underground alone, there are tons of different set pieces that would be the crown jewel for any other film. Having tons of stunt people do the things that they do while also
making it look good is hard. Bay is the undisputed king of action; whether that's cars flipping over, explosions, or shootouts, he knows how to make them look good. 

I can even throw a bone to the actors as all of them seemed to play their parts well. While Ryan Reynolds is probably the main draw for most, he doesn't give the best performance. Honestly, none of the actors did anything to capture your attention, though that isn't their fault. The movie is stuck in the highest gear for its entire two-hour runtime; there isn't a moment for the characters to settle down. Read the comments made by actress Melanie Laurent about how Bay shoots on set, and you'll understand why this is. It honestly comes down to their ability to get their characters across in a short amount of time, which they do, and it's just enough to get to the next action scene.

The rest of the movie is just constant cutting and motion, which can get nauseating. The first 20 minutes were unintelligible, as I had no clue where the characters were supposed to be when cutting to a different shot. This was a constant problem as characters teleport to new positions or major events happen offscreen. The fault lies squarely on two shoulders, the screenplay, and Bay himself. It doesn't help that there are constant flashbacks that the audience has no reference for and doesn't explain what is happening in the present. The best example comes right at the beginning of the movie, starting in present-day and going back six months for the first flashback. We spend approximately five minutes in this time period before jumping further back to four years into the past. With the amount of time switching, I'm surprised this isn't Back to the Future.

Some might say the action scenes lift this dumpster fire from the hell hole from which it came into a place of watchability. I can guarantee you that if you know someone who enjoys this movie, you should probably never take their recommendations seriously from now on. You would have to be neurotic to be able to sit through the absolute mess that could only have been made for Netflix. On the bright side, I guess the streaming service really is the only place where creatives get full control over their projects.
2/10
This hurt to watch
Comments
<<Previous
Forward>>

    Categories

    All
    20th Century Fox
    A24
    Action
    Adventure
    Amazon
    Animation
    Annapurna
    Blue Sky
    Blumhouse
    Comedy
    Comic Book Movie
    DC
    Detective
    Disney
    Disney+
    Disney Animation
    Drama
    DreamWorks
    Fantasy
    Focus Features
    Foreign Language
    Horror
    Illumination
    Kid's Movie
    Laika
    Legendary
    Lionsgate
    Live Action Fairy Tale
    Lucasfilm
    Marvel
    MGM
    Monster Movie
    Musical
    Neon
    Netflix
    Paramount
    Pixar
    Science Fiction
    Sony
    STX Entertainment
    Thriller
    Universal
    Video Game Movie
    War Movie
    Warner Bros.
    Western Japan Movie
    Zombie Movie

    Archives

    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.