Flags of our Fathers - 2/5

This movie is passable in its presentation of war, muddled in its statements on hero worship, and goes on far too long to do justice to its subject matter. The battle scenes, acting, and score are all serviceable, but the writing and directing are noticeably lacking here, bringing nothing to the table. Its greatest crime is being a boring war movie, which is downright difficult to pull off.

Closest comparison: It’s like We Were Soldiers by way of Thank You For Smoking.

Setting: War
Plot: War / Drama
Tone: Drama

Crawl (2019) - 3/5

This movie knows what it is and delivers all the wonderful jump scares and alligator thrashings promised in the trailer. The problem comes in the form of plot contrivance, with inconsistent mechanics and stakes depending on whether the main characters are in peril or not. Don’t get me wrong, the characters are endearing and the actors really sell the whole situation, but after a few key “why didn’t”s and “how come”s the fabric of the movie starts to come apart. Still, there are a lot of great moments and it is exciting and gutsy in all the ways it needed to be.

Closest comparison: It’s like Dante’s Peak by way of 47 Meters Down.

Setting: Disaster
Plot: Drama
Tone: Thriller