Godzilla: King of the Monsters - 3/5

The monster visuals are gorgeous, and that’s certainly where they put their money. Unfortunately, the plot is very dumb and overly complicated, to the point that we don’t get to see monster stuff until about 50 minutes into the movie. The upshot is that the parts with humans fall back into the ‘so bad it’s good’ category, so if you like imitating Mystery Science Theater 3000 you’ll have something to do while you wait for the monster fights to start. Once the fighting starts it’s exciting and very entertaining, well worth the price of the ticket on its own, though it seems overly focused on giving the audience good PC desktop wallpapers.

Closest comparison: It’s better than Godzilla (2014), but not as good as Kong: Skull Island.

Setting: Kaiju Monster
Plot: Adventure
Tone: Action/Drama

North By Northwest (1959) - 4/5

This is one of the most famous movies from one of the most famous directors of all time. It holds up well over time despite its very dated aesthetic because of the irresistibly engaging performances from the main cast. It amounts to a surprisingly leisurely ride through the espionage and mystery, and the famous Mount Rushmore chase is solid, albeit abrupt. The dialogue is gorgeous and refreshing, especially these days when writing in films is often so sloppy. The plot is interesting enough to keep the audience’s attention without attempting to pose a big enough distraction to detract from the character moments which really comprise the heart of the film.

Closest comparison: It’s the Alfred Hitchcock movie that isn’t Psycho.

Setting: Spy Thriller
Plot: Mystery
Tone: Drama/Comedy

Aladdin (2019) - 3/5

It’s good, but uneven. The normal, baseline parts of the movie that should go smoothly are rough and often badly acted. Then the movie turns around and absolutely nails the parts that are tricky and hard to pull off. Out of nowhere a few scenes are played for awkward cringe comedy, which are followed up by scenes of Aladdin and Jasmine’s endearing, believable chemistry. The Prince Ali number, a delightfully spectacular riff on the song, was much better executed than One Jump Ahead, which walked when it should have run and mismatched its lyrics with the action. Luckily the movie gets better as it goes and comes into its own with some surprisingly impactful moments in the third act.

Closest comparison: It’s the best live action Disney remake to date.

Setting: Fantasy
Plot: Adventure
Tone: Adventure

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum - 3/5

This movie tries to expand the world-building that the first two films started, but it quickly falls apart. There are some fun action scenes, and one in an antique shop in particular that is stellar, but the rest of the movie is a blurry confusion of self-contradiction and tensionless posturing. Asia Kate Dillon is particularly atrocious, and her portrayal of a such pompously incompetent character is not only grating to watch but badly written to boot. The contrivances just keep piling up and after an hour or so everything that happens happens because the plot needs it to. The director’s affinity for beautiful cinematography has been pared down to only beautiful shots, with much of the camera work that made the other two films stand out lost and lazily lacking in this one.

Closest comparison: It’s the Jonh Wick entry that couldn’t be bothered to be any good.

Setting: Secret World
Plot: Action
Tone: Action

My Life as a Zucchini - 4/5

This little gem flew under the radar for many people, but it’s the most solid coming-of-age that’s come out in a while. The stop motion animation lends an intimacy to each scene and a closeness to the hardships and tenderness on display that is hard to capture even in live action. Its melancholy story is endearing in all the right ways, partly because it deals with a younger age group than most other films of its ilk and partly because it simultaneously doesn’t shy away from either how grim life can really be or how heroic the mundane actions of good people can be.

Closest comparison: It’s like Stand By Me by way of Wallace and Grommit.

Setting: Coming of Age
Plot: Coming of Age
Tone: Drama

Pokémon Detective Pikachu - 2/5

This movie is built for fans of the Pokémon franchise. Many of the wide city shots especially feature many background Pokémon for those in the know to appreciate, and that part of it was very good. Justice Smith also did a much better job than his previous work, with a few stand-out moments that worked particularly well. There’s CGI in every scene, and if you don’t like the 3D interpretation of the Pokémon then that will plague you for the duration. The ‘detective’ works just fine, and although adults will likely see the final reveal coming children may get much more mileage out of the solution.

Closest comparison: It’s like a live-action episode of a show that has been running for a little too long.

Setting: Sci-fi
Plot: Mystery
Tone: Family

The Highwaymen (Netflix) - 3/5

This movie is a solid entry in the dustbowl crime documentary genre, but nothing more. The central performances from Kevin Costner, Woody Harrelson, and the legendary Kathy Bates are wonderful, of course, but the plot is more informative than it is interesting. It has an older style of pacing which works well with the subject matter and setting, and will likely play better with older audiences than the younger, more mentally kinetic crowd. The violence is kept to a minimum, with the act always off-screen or in the distance and the emphasis lingering instead on nearby characters’ reactions. If you like the story, setting, or even just the actors it’s worth a watch, but it’s not likely to be anyone’s favorite movie.

Closest comparison: It’s like a pared-down roadshow Untouchables.

Setting > Mystery > Detective
Plot > Adventure > Buddy Cop
Tone > Drama > Biography

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) - 4/5

This movie walks a fine line between funny and light, and darkly serious. And most of the time it works. The music, action, and character building are easily the highlights of the film, far outstripping several previous MCU entries. The rich color palette and gorgeous visualization of deep space are a wonder to behold and worth the price of admission alone. The main issues with the film are about tone, with characters cracking jokes while dark or disturbing things happen just before or afterward. Beyond that, however, it’s a fun misfit adventure with occasional sincerity.

Closest comparison: It’s the crazy, silly, irreverent ‘youngest child’ of the MCU.

Setting: Gritty Sci-Fi
Plot: Adventure
Tone: Comedy

Avengers: Age of Ultron - 4/5

This movie is fantastic, but introduces too many metaphors to pay off by the end. Director Joss Whedon stated in an interview that he challenged himself to make it shorter than The Avengers (2012), and it shows. This movie tries to do more in less time, and although it does an incredible job with what it has, an extra 10-20 minutes could have made this a 5/5. That being said the action is dazzling, the concept is solid, and they even managed to squeeze in three new characters that went on to appear in other MCU movies. With so much crammed into one movie, it definitely improves with multiple viewings.

Closest comparison: It’s the troubled middle child of the Avengers franchise.

Setting: Super hero
Plot: Super hero
Tone: Super hero

Avengers: Endgame - 4/5

It's awesome! It is the crescendo to the MCU (so far) that all the fans have been waiting for, and it delivers marvellously. Some of the best moments in all of the Marvel films to date are in this movie, and it pays off some things it's been setting up for years in such a satisfying way that I left the theatre feeling full. Unfortunately, some of the characters’ stories get short shrift, some of the pacing wasn't great, and Carol Danvers was intolerable in the few scenes she was in. But over the course of 3 hours this film’s weaknesses are far overshadowed by it's towering successes.

Closest comparison: It's been a good run. Thanks, Stan.

Setting: Super hero

Plot: spoilers

Tone: Epic

The Avengers (2012) - 5/5

This movie does Character better than almost any other. Joss Whedon accomplished the almost insurmountable task of combining the six main characters and several side characters in a way that lets each of them shine unimpeded by the others. The brilliance of the one-on-one confrontations each main character gets with the villain that highlight the unique strengths they bring to the team cannot be overstated. It also contains one of the most dynamic and multi-faceted arguments ever put to film. It combined three existing character-based film franchises, reinvented a fourth, and added in two main characters to boot. And it did it so well that it became the gold standard by which all action films and all team-up films are measured.

Closest comparison: It’s the super hero team up movie that started them all

Setting: Super hero
Plot: War Spy
Tone: Action Adventure

Iron Man 3 - 3/5

This movie has some of my favorite moments in all of the Iron Man movies, but huge plot holes and convoluted retrospective character motivations unravel what could have been an amazing movie. The creators definitely seem to be having a lot more fun with this one over previous installments, sometimes getting caught up in their own enjoyment and forgetting to tie everything together at the end. This movie’s biggest strength is how it contrasts Tony Stark with Iron Man. This movie’s biggest flaw is introducing plot points, characters, and very powerful abilities, then forgetting about them. And this movie’s biggest sin is creating a central bait-and-switch, but making the switch far less interesting than the bait.

Closest comparison: It’s the troubled third child in the Iron Man series.

Setting: Geopolitical thriller
Plot: Underdog adventure
Tone: Action

Iron Man 2 - 3/5

This movie does social sparring very well. Most of the time when characters are talking they are continually vying for social dominance, thrusting and parrying not so much with words as with emotions. Mickey Rourke is fantastic as Whiplash, and while his fight scenes are spectacular they always end in more of a fizzle than a crescendo. The biggest flaw with this movie is giving Tony Stark little to do except aimlessly act out, though Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal is pitch perfect as always. Sam Rockwell also captures all of the subtlety of being an off-brand Tony Stark, but in true reflection his character also has little to do, aimlessly wandering around the plot like a lost, sassy child.

Closest comparison: It’s the gentle sequel to Iron Man (2008)

Setting: Super hero
Plot: Super hero
Tone: Action

Stan & Ollie - 3/5

This movie is a heartwarming tragedy about the life and times of the legendary comedy duo Laurel and Hardy. For those interested in their history and behind-the-scenes interactions, this is a good run-down of the later part of their lives. Instead of focusing on how they meet it goes through their disagreements and struggles to get an audience even after coming to fame. Steve Coogan is very good as Stan Laurel, but John C. Reilly in full costume is the spitting image of Oliver Hardy and their chemistry is palpable on screen.

Closest comparison: It’s a standard biopic, a la Chaplin (1992) or The King’s Speech.

Setting: Drama
Plot: Biopic
Tone: Tragedy

Hellboy (2019) - 3/5

This movie’s main draw is its visual aesthetic, which is so Metal that it looks like it was taken directly from an Iron Maiden album cover. It overemphasizes the goriness wherever it can, but if that’s your thing you’ll probably like this movie more than I did. There are lots of fun locations and characters, with a few sequences that were exceptionally well done. Unfortunately, there are too many plotting problems, with unclear character motivations and stakes. Unless you’re really into the visual style, just rewatch Guillermo Del Toro’s 2004 classic again instead.

Content warning: language, gore, dead children, brief female nudity

Closest comparison: It’s like someone read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and thought, “This needs more demons, intestines, and severed limbs.”

Setting: Hidden World
Plot: Adventure
Tone: Horror/Splatter

Christopher Robin (2018) - 3/5

This movie is a quite well executed nostalgia piece, but I don’t really have the touchpoints for it. If you are very much endeared to Winnie the Pooh then I’m sure you’ll like it much more than I did. The plot is all the standard ‘work bad, family good’ window dressing for the heart of the story, which is Christopher Robin reuniting with his friends from the 100 Acre Wood after he’s grown up. The glittering diamond in the rough here is the impeccable dialogue from Christopher Robin’s pint-sized compatriots, that had me actually laughing out loud at least half a dozen times.

Closest Comparison: The Finding Neverland director shifts his sights from Peter Pan to Winnie the Pooh, but with less to say on the matter.

Setting: Post-War (Civilian side)
Plot: Drama
Tone: Family

Batman: Bad Blood - 3/5

This movie is treading water with no direction in sight. It has passable action and halfway decent plot, but the whole affair seems to just drone on and on until it’s finished, and it’s not even that long of a movie. The visual style is very bland, relying on dark hard-to-read images for the bulk of the narrative. The whole bat-family is in this one, as well as a collection of villains, and this seems to be the main draw of the film. It creates a new villain, but instead of being a grounded, empathetic character like in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, instead it comes off as formulaic and canned.

Closest comparison: Just watch Batman: Mask of the Phantasm again instead.

Setting: Noir
Plot: Mystery
Tone: Superhero

Unplanned - 4/5

Most people who have heard about this movie already know whether they want to see it or not. For the rest of you, this movie presents a unique auto-biographical depiction of a behind-the-scenes look at the abortion industry. It has second-rate acting, to say the least, but all other aspects of the film making are the best I’ve seen from religious producers. The film wisely limits the Christianity to a few short scenes and instead emphasizes the topic at hand, so that non-Christians aren’t excluded from the conversation. Make no mistake this is a harrowing and deeply troubling story and like so many other great films before it, from Hotel Rwanda to Wind River, it’s a seriously important film that is too difficult for most people to watch.

Content Warning: abortion, pregnancy, miscarriage, etc.

Closest comparison: It’s like Schindler’s List with budget actors.

Setting: Autobiography
Plot: Drama
Tone: Horror/Drama

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) - 4/5

I love this movie for its underlying message of being a good person, and the way it cements the character of Steve Rogers so firmly that he remains unchanged for the next 6 films. At least three different actors all deliver scene-stealing performances, and the use of special effects here is kept well in hand. Some of the directing and editing could have been better and as a result some aspects that could have pushed this movie over the edge to a 5/5 were lacking, like the fact that Red Skull doesn’t really get an iconic pose/image/shot or the needless complication of the ‘Kissing the Secretary’ scene. Nevertheless, this remains a very strong entry into the litany of Marvel movies.

Closest comparison: It’s like Letters from Iwo Jima by way of The Rocketeer.

Setting: War
Plot: Super hero
Tone: Adventure

Shazam! - 2/5

This movie is infectiously funny, but humor alone does not a movie make. This is DC’s equivalent to Ant-Man, but it’s not as good. There are missed opportunities at every turn, as a character asks what makes someone a hero while standing among statues of the seven deadly sins and another character who is bullied finally has the strength to face his aggressors, but none of them pay off. The concepts are clumsily handled and fold in on themselves, actually creating logical inconsistencies and character motivation problems. Excellent effects and acting and all that, but there’s nothing else to it. And it shows.

Closest comparison: It’s like Big (1988), but instead of going the Bruce Almighty route it opts for the Venom route.

Setting: Fantasy
Plot: Super hero
Tone: Comedy

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