Review: First Man
My son has had a fascination with space this year, so when an eight year old comes out of a true story movie loving every second, that says something. First Man was a bit slow in parts. There were some scenes where if you have vertigo, you may want to close your eyes. Despite thinking you know what’s going to happen because you may know a lot about the Apollo program, well think again.
Ryan Gosling was not the only stellar cast member. Everyone in the film did such a fantastic job that I’m shocked it hasn’t been nominated for an Oscar. Oh wait, no I’m not. The Oscars only put what and who they want up there even if no one has seen the films. Okay, ranting aside, First Man definitely deserved a nomination on so many levels.
Yes, it’s based on the true story of Neil Armstrong, but it delves into his family life, and the stresses he went through. It wasn’t an easy trek for him to achieve the status he did and become the first man on the moon.
I had no complaints about this film, other than the fact that the conspiracy loving part of me wishes they would have touched on some of those doctored NASA photos of the moon and flight recordings of him and Buzz Aldrin talking about seeing objects outside of the shuttle. That would have detracted from what they were going for, so I understand why they didn’t… but still.. we all want and need answers.
I may have shed a tear of joy when he stepped on the moon after seeing all that built up to it. Kudos to the director and cast for a job well done. I give the movie 5 out of 5 sCrypt ratings. What did you think of First Man? Comment below with your thoughts.
Review: Bird Box
Bird Box was something I decided to check out when I had a rare few hours to burn when I wasn’t writing. I had heard about the stupid challenge people have been getting hurt doing, and figured I’d check out the source material.
As far as a movie with suspense, this has plenty of it. There’s a good dynamic of flashback and present telling that make it flow well. I was hooked in the first five minutes. Sandra Bullock and cast really made the film, and I felt for the child actors involved. It was an emotionally charged plot.
The story itself was decent enough, but I feel it fell flat in a few places. There really was no explanation as to what the “creatures” were other than the aspiring author character’s thoughts on it. That wasn’t presented as fact, so you are just left assuming he knew all about it. Why were some people committing suicide, while others were trying to convince people to open their minds to the “demons?” Again… there was no explanation for this.
Despite that, there was enough to keep me interested all the way until the credits rolled. The ending itself was a little underwhelming. Without explanations and too many questions left up in the air, I desired to see one of these things. Obviously the directors chose not to show because for the characters, they all saw something different. It just had too abrupt an ending with loose ends obviously designed to rope in enough interest for a sequel.
If you’re bored and want something interesting, then this is a must see, but if you’re looking for closure and something substantial, then I’d skip it. I give Bird Box a 2.5 out of 5 sCrypt ratings, which would have lost another point if the acting wasn’t so superb.
What were your thoughts? Comment below.
Review: Tomb Raider
The Tomb Raider movies prior to this year’s film of the same name with Alicia Vikander in the role of Lara Croft, weren’t much to remember. They were just fun popcorn flicks. It’s because of those that I went into this movie with low expectations, but as a huge fan of the video games I had to give it a shot. I’m glad that I did.
With a surprisingly long run time for this film (just under 2 hours), it felt refreshing and human. Vikander’s Croft is much more relatable, giving the audience a character they care about. You can see her humanity. She’s not a super hero, and while she does perform some impossible things, she doesn’t come out of it unscathed.
This really shows the origin of a great character, and how she became wrapped up in the archaeological world. Tomb Raider 2018 may not be as good as the Indiana Jones movies, but it separates itself as a solid stand alone piece that is highly enjoyable.
I personally look forward to a sequel, and who knows… with all these crossovers, and an inevitable Indiana Jones reboot some day, maybe we will see Indy and Lara team up. In the mean time this will keep audiences pleased. I rate it with 3 out of 5 sCrypt ratings. It’s not the best movie out there, but it certainly ranks high on the fun film scale.
What did you think? Comment below with your thoughts.
Review: Wonder Woman
It’s no secret that the DCEU of movies has met with harsh criticism, and in some cases rightfully so. Man of Steel and Batman vs Superman were split down the middle by fans and Suicide Squad was an absolute disaster. Even before those the films were less than perfect. Bad interpretations of villains in the previous Batman movies, a heavily CGI Green Lantern film, and the 5 prior Superman films were only good for the first two. So the track record of DC films hasn’t been anything spectacular over the years. Sure there were high points, but it really had me worry for Wonder Woman.
Then I saw it, and while the story felt similar to Captain America the First Avenger, it was Gal Gadot who really made this a great watch. The actress is not only stunning, but connects with audiences on an emotional end, and then turns into a complete badass. Chris Pine as Steve Trevor added a great amount of chemistry and humor needed.
The supporting cast did well, and the visual effects with the lasso were straight from the pages of the comic books. The director’s decision to add more color to Wonder Woman’s costume was a smart one as well. It made her stand out more in a very cold looking era film.
My complaints would be minor overall but still bothersome. Ares was a great villain, but I saw the twist coming from the moment the actor stepped on screen. It was way too predictable. The over usage of Wonder Woman’s theme song grew tiresome, and some of the Amazonian fights looked off in the CGI department.
What I did like is that for the most part this was a true interpretation of the character. I’d watch Gal Gadot in anything, but the comic fan in me couldn’t be happier. I’m not sure I enjoyed the sort of force blast she showed with her gauntlets, but I think this was to show how she can ricochet most attacks that way.
Finally, DC films has something to list as their best movie to date (Yes that includes all other movies mentioned above). We now have a female hero who is both a princess and warrior hero. I give Wonder Woman 4 out of 5 sCrypt ratings. What did you think?
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