We came to the end of another year, in fact another decade. So it's time to do another top 10 personal favorite movies of 2019. I will also do a top favorites of the decade, I think it will be my top 30 of the decade, but I am still thinking about that, but I will post that within a week at the latest.
Please note, I have not seen all the movies this year, there are plenty that are being haled as the greatest movies ever, but I haven't seen them, I may at some point, but this reflects my favorites of the year. Anyway, without further adieu, here are my top 10 favorites of the year:
10. Yesterday - What if you woke up one day and one of the biggest things in the world was forgotten and was gone. The world goes through a weird power out and the music of The Beatles disappeared and only one remembers who The Beatles were, this had such a unique concept that it grabbed my attention. Just FYI, if this happened, I wouldn't be able to bring back the forgotten music into the world.
9. Peanut Butter Falcon - One of those movies I wasn't planning to see, but everyone kept talking about it that I decided to check it out. It had a very good story, for those that don't know what it is, it is about a man with Down syndrome who lives in a senior home and escapes so he can meet his idol, a wrestling pro back in the day on TV. He accompanies a man played by Shia Lebeouf who is running from the law. It's got great cinematography, and a good soundtrack. This was one of those very pleasant movies that I just enjoyed taking the adventure.
8. Apollo 11 - Taken from footage shot during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969, Todd Douglas Miller took the footage and put it all together to tell a story of the mission. It was such a cool experience, I saw First Man last year that dealt with one man's emotional journey to space, this dealt with the mission as a whole, and just seeing the footage from this perspective was just awesome, plus the film was in excellent condition, especially being 50 years old.
7. Klaus - So this was a movie I discovered on Netflix, but I believe it did have a very limited theatrical release so I would consider this one worth putting on the list. This is another story of the legend of Santa Claus and how Santa came to be, and it's told from the perspective of a mailman. This movie brought back a ton of nostalgia from animated movies back in the 90s, mainly from Disney, and no this isn't a musical. And this has a great story about a town that is transformed because the good deeds that were done. This is one I will be watching each Christmas.
6. Ad Astra - I remember hearing about this when I was trying to figure out my anticipated list for the year, but I chose not to include it since I didn't know anything about it except it had Brad Pitt and Tommy Lee Jones and it took place in space. This was a visually gorgeous movie and had a great score, I saw it on IMAX and it was so worth it. For me, there was more to it that stood out, I listened to Brad Pitt as he was on his journey to confront his father and all that going through him made me think about those that I personally struggle with and how would I react to those that you aren't sure how it all will turn out. This is a movie I could see evolving over time as well.
5. JoJo Rabbit - What if I told you this movie was about a boy in Nazi Germany that has Hitler as an imaginary friend and it's somewhat of a comedy, would you go see it? That premise is very bizarre that I think the premise alone would not progress the movie to be completed. I don't know how Taika Waititi did it, but this was a very brilliant movie, and the premise is the beginning of the movie, but the boy soon finds a young girl living in his attic who is a Jew and he comes to know the girl and that changes his perception on the world. Without giving too much more away, let's say that the movie evolves as it progresses and there is more emotion than you would anticipate. This one is totally worth seeing.
4. How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World - Cool part, this trilogy began with the beginning of the decade, and it concludes with the end of the decade. Did they stick the landing, yes I really thought they did. We saw Hiccup and the rest of the characters grow with each new entry, and see Hiccup become a man here. This is a beautifully animated movie, the scenery is just gorgeous, and once again I wish I had a dragon. I also really like how they handle the love story between Toothless and the Light Fury, those moments where they communicate without dialogue is just charming and so well done. Also, I have to say John Powell did an excellent job with the score, the first is still the best, but this is such a wonderful entry and I am thankful we have such a wonderful trilogy of movies.
3. Knives Out - This was first announced late in 2018 and was surprised to hear this would come out this year, all I knew is that it was directed by Rian Johnson and starred Daniel Craig, This was a brilliant movie. It is a murder mystery movie that also has plenty of humor. I think of the movie Clue when I first watched it, but there is so much more to it. I don't know how to explain the movie without giving too much away, but lets say with the death in the family, some of the true colors of some of the family slowly come out. It kept me on the edge of my seat during my first viewing, the second viewing helped me catch what I missed, but even the third viewing I caught more I didn't notice before. I feel I should do a post about this movie and talk about aspects of the movie that really stood out because it's hard to talk about this movie without spoiling too much. See it if you haven't seen it yet.
2. Ford V Ferrari - I am not much of a sports person, but I can admit that one of the sports I enjoy watching is racing, like car racing and bike racing. So that was an aspect that grabbed my attention for this movie and why I really wanted to see it. Plus the cast and a great director, I was excited for it. This was an excellent movie, it had a good story about the small people overcoming the odds of a corporate company. Plus the race sequences were awesome, they were shot in a way that I really felt part of the action, I also watched this in a big theater with Dolby Atmos which enhanced my experience of watching the movie. Both Matt Damon and Christian Bale did an excellent job in their roles, and it was cool to see them work to build a race car to compete against Ferrari and seeing them looking at all aspects of the car to get it to the point it could compete. It was hard when I got out of the movie late at night to not drive my car like a race car. This is so worth seeing.
1. Avengers Endgame - When Iron Man came out in 2008, I never thought we would end up here, I knew shortly after the movie came out they were working on a team up movie, but I figured The Avengers would be the biggest they would go, wow was I wrong. After the ending of Avengers Infinity War, this was on my most anticipated list, and that anticipation only grew as it got closer to release. I saw the trailers and I heard the good reception, but that was all I knew regarding the movie, and this movie blew me away in so many ways. This was a movie for the fans and it all paid off in glorious ways. I remember the concerns coming up with the movie being three hours (I wasn't worried since the Lord of the Rings movies were 3 hours), but this was a movie that did not feel 3 hours at all, and the last 40 minutes of the movie was mind blowing. I don't know what to saw that hasn't already been said, this was a rewarding experience for me. And for those that still haven't seen it (I would be surprised if you haven't seen it yet), please do yourself a favor and see it. This was a wonderful time at the movies this year that I got very involved in, and this was my top personal favorite of the year.
So that does it for 2019, there were a lot of great movies this year. There were plenty of great movies this decade, I will do that list as soon as possible. I will also do a list of my top 20 movies I am looking forward to in 2020.
Wednesday, January 1, 2020
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Fall/Winter movies 2019
As I did last year, I wanted to take the time to talk about some of the releases that are coming out the rest of the year, some I am really looking forward to, others I have a little interest in either seeing or seeing how they turn out, so I will give each movie a rating based on how excited I am for it. Now keep in mind that this list won't reflect all the movies coming out, there may be some on this list that are on here but I may not end up seeing but I have my eye on them, waiting to see how they turn out, enjoy this list.
Ad Astra (September 20) - Anticipation Level: Ecstatic
Thoughts: I heard about this movie last year, all I knew was that it was a space movie and there was Brad Pitt and Tommy Lee Jones. I became very interested in seeing a trailer. When the trailers finally dropped, my expectations for the movie really grew as I couldn't help but get vibes of 2001, Interstellar, and Gravity. These are all movies I enjoy and I hope that this movie delivers, regardless, I will be seeing this on IMAX during opening weekend.
Abominable (September 27) - Anticipation Level: Medium
Thoughts: I have this down because this is created by DreamWorks. There are times they release great movies, like the How To Train Your Dragon movies. I saw one trailer and it looks intriguing enough for me to be on the lookout for, it could be a fun story that if done just right, so I will wait to see what the reviews say when I see them
Joker (October 4) - Anticipation Level: Medium
Thoughts: Yes, this is more likely on everyone's anticipated list, and it's not hard to see why, but this is not on mine. Yes, I like Batman, and yes I like the Joker, I think the Joker is an iconic villain. However, I really like the fact that his origin story is a mystery. I hear this movie has great buzz towards it, so I am curious on how this turns out.
Gemini Man (October 11) - Anticipation Level: High
Thoughts: Earlier this year, we got very impressive de-aging effects in Captain Marvel with Samuel L Jackson looking like he was taken from 1995 and filmed for the movie. Based off the trailers for this, the younger version of Will Smith looks like he came from 1990 and shot in our day. The action sequences in the 2nd trailer look rather good. This is on my radar to see when it comes out.
Addams Family (October 11) - Anticipation Level: Medium
Thoughts: Okay, so maybe medium anticipation is a little high here, but I am kind of curious about this. It is always nice to get a family friendly halloween movie, and with that Are You Afraid of the Dark movie not happening anymore since it's a TV series reboot instead, this might do. Good voice talent attached, so I hope it's at least enjoyable.
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (October 18) - Anticipation Level: Low
Thoughts: I liked the first Maleficent movie, it wasn't a favorite, but it had a decent story and the visuals were very nice to look at. I don't see a reason for this to happen, plus when Disney did a sequel to their live action remakes lately (Alice and the Looking Glass), it wasn't very good. This could surprise me and I might like it, I will wait for the reviews and maybe check it out.
Zombieland: Double Tap (October 18) - Anticipation Level: Medium
Thoughts: The first one a decade ago was a ton of fun, I got plenty of laughs out of it. When I saw the trailer for the new one, I don't think it got me on board as others, but I certainly hope that it was just a trailer I wasn't very impressed with but the movie puts a big grin on my face. The fact they brought the cast back is a big win.
JoJo Rabbit (October 18) - Anticipation Level: Medium
Thoughts: What an interesting idea, a really bizarre one from Taika Waititi. Basically this kid has Adolf Hitler as an imaginary friend in the time period where he was rising to power. I am sitting here and wonder if it's worth checking out and if the idea is justifiable. I am uncertain at this time if I will see it or not.
Terminator: Dark Fate (November 1) - Anticipation Level: Low
Thoughts: I really like the first Terminator movie and the second to me is a masterpiece. So why is this low, well the sequels afterwards weren't all that great, I enjoyed Salvation more than the other 2 sequels that followed Terminator 2: Judgement Day. But after Genisys, I was just turned off towards the franchise as a whole. Could this save the series, I will wait to see.
Midway (November 8) - Anticipation Level: Medium
Thoughts: To me, this almost looks like it could be a Michael Bay movie, a big blockbuster take on a big historical event, the action sequences look really good in the trailer, but will the emotional story match the big set pieces. Director Roland Emmerich is a hit or miss for me, I really liked Independence Day and Stargate and The Day After Tomorrow, but I didn't really care for White House Down, or Independence Day Resurgence at all. I am intrigued enough to keep an eye on it and see how it turns out.
Charlie's Angels (November 15) - Anticipation Level: Low
Thoughts: We had an adaptation of the movie based on the TV show back in 2000, I really enjoyed it and also the sequel that came a few years after that, yes they were cheesy but enjoyable. So far, the trailers we got haven't really got me interested. But they have Naomi Scott as one of the angels and I think she could be good here as she has been doing really good so far, I guess we will have to wait and see.
Ford V Ferrari (November 15) - Anticipation Level: High
Thoughts: One sport I really like is racing, and I think car racing is pretty cool. I also think this movie has a ton of great talent, from director James Mangold who directed Logan a couple of years ago, and then actors Matt Damon and Christian Bale. With all this in mind, this movie really has my interest and I look forward to checking it out when it comes out, plus it got very good reviews recently.
Frozen 2 (November 22) - Anticipation Level: Medium
Thoughts: Do you remember Frozen back in 2013? If you don't, then I would be surprised and would think that you have been living under a rock. Actually if you haven't heard of it, you must have been living under a rock these last 6 years as I feel Frozen has almost been everywhere. I think the movie is pretty good, the hard part is I feel it's been everywhere to the point I have become exhausted of it. Personally I would rather have a sequel to Tangled instead, or Big Hero 6. That being said, the trailers have gotten my interest and I plan to check this out.
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (November 22) - Anticipation Level: Ecstatic
Thoughts: Last year we got a great documentary based on the life of Fred Rogers. I watched an episode of Mister Rogers Neighborhood here and there as a kid, but it wasn't one of those I would watch consistently but there are certain sequences that stood out and were iconic, seeing his values help shape the show was really cool. I am very curious how this portrayal will turn out, I am sure Tom Hanks will do a great job, but I am curious where they will focus the story. Regardless I look forward to seeing this.
Knives Out (November 27) - Anticipation Level: Ecstatic
Thoughts: Regardless of how you feel about The Last Jedi, you got to admit that this looks very entertaining, and kind of has vibes of Clue released back in 1985. I remember hearing this movie being worked on late last year, and it kind of caught my attention. So far, the reviews for this have been outstanding. I look forward to checking this out when it comes out. Also, it looks like another role that Daniel Craig will have a blast playing.
The Aeronauts (December 6) - Anticipation Level: Medium
Thoughts: I only discovered this movie recently. So far my anticipation is medium since I don't know a whole lot about it, but the trailer looked kind of nice. I think this might have a very limited theatrical release but this is suppose to debut on Amazon Prime two weeks afterwards so if this has very good buzz, I will probably check it out on Prime when it debuts there.
A Hidden Life (December 13) - Anticipation Level: Medium
Thoughts: My only exposure to this is one trailer, but I have to admit that based off the trailer, many of the shots featured in the movie are very gorgeous, and just off that I want to check out this movie. It is directed by Terrace Malick who has been known to doing gorgeous looking movies but the story tends to be a bit experimental, so we will see how the movie is. I remember seeing Tree of Life years ago.
Jumanji: The Next Level (December 13) - Anticipation Level: High
Thoughts: When I first heard about this sequel, I was a little concerned as the 2017 original sequel was a surprise movie that Christmas. I was concerned with this sequel until I saw the trailer and then my concerns were washed away and I got plenty of laughs. Dwayne Johnson as Danny DeVito and Kevin Hart as Danny Glover, I am pumped for this.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (December 20) - Anticipation Level: Ecstatic
Thoughts: There are many that aren't a fan of The Last Jedi two years ago, I personally really liked it, it was gorgeously shot, but I can understand the concerns behind it, and I agree that it has it's problems. Regardless, my excitement hasn't diminished for Episode 9. What adds is that JJ Abrams is back in the director's chair. I really liked The Force Awakens as that re-ignited my interest in more Star Wars movies which I wasn't too keen on after the prequels. So with that in mind, I am excited to see what we get with this last movie, plus this is suppose to be the last movie in the Skywalker saga, and I hear that JJ Abrams plans to tie all the movies together, so if this fails, it will fail with glory and ambition in my books. Regardless of the outcome, I can't wait till December 20th.
Cats (December 20) - Anticipation Level: Low
Thoughts: Are you scared? No worries, so am I, these cats look kind of freaky. There is a great cast behind it, from Rebel Wilson to Judi Dench to Idris Elba, and the director has done some pretty good movies before, so I am hoping that we get a decent movie here. Anyway, even if not, we will at least get an interesting freak show here.
1917 (December 25) - Anticipation Level: Ecstatic
Thoughts: I did not know about this movie until I saw Hobbs and Shaw and we got the teaser trailer for this, and I was just stunned by how great this movie looks. There seems to be a great cast as well, and the director is the same one that did Skyfall, so this one has my full attention. Count me in on Christmas Day for this.
Spies in Disguise (December 25) - Anticipation Level: High
Thoughts: Will Smith and Tom Holland lending voices in an animated movie, yeah sure. What gets me is that the characters they play seem to fit who I would envision them as, so for that reason I am really looking forward to seeing this movie. This could be a fun movie to watch on Christmas, so I hope this delivers and doesn't crash and burn.
So these are the movies I am aware of, with many I am very excited for, and some that might gain my interest based on how they are received. I look forward to seeing how the rest of the year turns out for movies. When I can, I will try to do review posts on some of these movies. Stay tuned.
Ad Astra (September 20) - Anticipation Level: Ecstatic
Thoughts: I heard about this movie last year, all I knew was that it was a space movie and there was Brad Pitt and Tommy Lee Jones. I became very interested in seeing a trailer. When the trailers finally dropped, my expectations for the movie really grew as I couldn't help but get vibes of 2001, Interstellar, and Gravity. These are all movies I enjoy and I hope that this movie delivers, regardless, I will be seeing this on IMAX during opening weekend.
Abominable (September 27) - Anticipation Level: Medium
Thoughts: I have this down because this is created by DreamWorks. There are times they release great movies, like the How To Train Your Dragon movies. I saw one trailer and it looks intriguing enough for me to be on the lookout for, it could be a fun story that if done just right, so I will wait to see what the reviews say when I see them
Joker (October 4) - Anticipation Level: Medium
Thoughts: Yes, this is more likely on everyone's anticipated list, and it's not hard to see why, but this is not on mine. Yes, I like Batman, and yes I like the Joker, I think the Joker is an iconic villain. However, I really like the fact that his origin story is a mystery. I hear this movie has great buzz towards it, so I am curious on how this turns out.
Gemini Man (October 11) - Anticipation Level: High
Thoughts: Earlier this year, we got very impressive de-aging effects in Captain Marvel with Samuel L Jackson looking like he was taken from 1995 and filmed for the movie. Based off the trailers for this, the younger version of Will Smith looks like he came from 1990 and shot in our day. The action sequences in the 2nd trailer look rather good. This is on my radar to see when it comes out.
Addams Family (October 11) - Anticipation Level: Medium
Thoughts: Okay, so maybe medium anticipation is a little high here, but I am kind of curious about this. It is always nice to get a family friendly halloween movie, and with that Are You Afraid of the Dark movie not happening anymore since it's a TV series reboot instead, this might do. Good voice talent attached, so I hope it's at least enjoyable.
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (October 18) - Anticipation Level: Low
Thoughts: I liked the first Maleficent movie, it wasn't a favorite, but it had a decent story and the visuals were very nice to look at. I don't see a reason for this to happen, plus when Disney did a sequel to their live action remakes lately (Alice and the Looking Glass), it wasn't very good. This could surprise me and I might like it, I will wait for the reviews and maybe check it out.
Zombieland: Double Tap (October 18) - Anticipation Level: Medium
Thoughts: The first one a decade ago was a ton of fun, I got plenty of laughs out of it. When I saw the trailer for the new one, I don't think it got me on board as others, but I certainly hope that it was just a trailer I wasn't very impressed with but the movie puts a big grin on my face. The fact they brought the cast back is a big win.
JoJo Rabbit (October 18) - Anticipation Level: Medium
Thoughts: What an interesting idea, a really bizarre one from Taika Waititi. Basically this kid has Adolf Hitler as an imaginary friend in the time period where he was rising to power. I am sitting here and wonder if it's worth checking out and if the idea is justifiable. I am uncertain at this time if I will see it or not.
Terminator: Dark Fate (November 1) - Anticipation Level: Low
Thoughts: I really like the first Terminator movie and the second to me is a masterpiece. So why is this low, well the sequels afterwards weren't all that great, I enjoyed Salvation more than the other 2 sequels that followed Terminator 2: Judgement Day. But after Genisys, I was just turned off towards the franchise as a whole. Could this save the series, I will wait to see.
Midway (November 8) - Anticipation Level: Medium
Thoughts: To me, this almost looks like it could be a Michael Bay movie, a big blockbuster take on a big historical event, the action sequences look really good in the trailer, but will the emotional story match the big set pieces. Director Roland Emmerich is a hit or miss for me, I really liked Independence Day and Stargate and The Day After Tomorrow, but I didn't really care for White House Down, or Independence Day Resurgence at all. I am intrigued enough to keep an eye on it and see how it turns out.
Charlie's Angels (November 15) - Anticipation Level: Low
Thoughts: We had an adaptation of the movie based on the TV show back in 2000, I really enjoyed it and also the sequel that came a few years after that, yes they were cheesy but enjoyable. So far, the trailers we got haven't really got me interested. But they have Naomi Scott as one of the angels and I think she could be good here as she has been doing really good so far, I guess we will have to wait and see.
Ford V Ferrari (November 15) - Anticipation Level: High
Thoughts: One sport I really like is racing, and I think car racing is pretty cool. I also think this movie has a ton of great talent, from director James Mangold who directed Logan a couple of years ago, and then actors Matt Damon and Christian Bale. With all this in mind, this movie really has my interest and I look forward to checking it out when it comes out, plus it got very good reviews recently.
Frozen 2 (November 22) - Anticipation Level: Medium
Thoughts: Do you remember Frozen back in 2013? If you don't, then I would be surprised and would think that you have been living under a rock. Actually if you haven't heard of it, you must have been living under a rock these last 6 years as I feel Frozen has almost been everywhere. I think the movie is pretty good, the hard part is I feel it's been everywhere to the point I have become exhausted of it. Personally I would rather have a sequel to Tangled instead, or Big Hero 6. That being said, the trailers have gotten my interest and I plan to check this out.
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (November 22) - Anticipation Level: Ecstatic
Thoughts: Last year we got a great documentary based on the life of Fred Rogers. I watched an episode of Mister Rogers Neighborhood here and there as a kid, but it wasn't one of those I would watch consistently but there are certain sequences that stood out and were iconic, seeing his values help shape the show was really cool. I am very curious how this portrayal will turn out, I am sure Tom Hanks will do a great job, but I am curious where they will focus the story. Regardless I look forward to seeing this.
Knives Out (November 27) - Anticipation Level: Ecstatic
Thoughts: Regardless of how you feel about The Last Jedi, you got to admit that this looks very entertaining, and kind of has vibes of Clue released back in 1985. I remember hearing this movie being worked on late last year, and it kind of caught my attention. So far, the reviews for this have been outstanding. I look forward to checking this out when it comes out. Also, it looks like another role that Daniel Craig will have a blast playing.
The Aeronauts (December 6) - Anticipation Level: Medium
Thoughts: I only discovered this movie recently. So far my anticipation is medium since I don't know a whole lot about it, but the trailer looked kind of nice. I think this might have a very limited theatrical release but this is suppose to debut on Amazon Prime two weeks afterwards so if this has very good buzz, I will probably check it out on Prime when it debuts there.
A Hidden Life (December 13) - Anticipation Level: Medium
Thoughts: My only exposure to this is one trailer, but I have to admit that based off the trailer, many of the shots featured in the movie are very gorgeous, and just off that I want to check out this movie. It is directed by Terrace Malick who has been known to doing gorgeous looking movies but the story tends to be a bit experimental, so we will see how the movie is. I remember seeing Tree of Life years ago.
Jumanji: The Next Level (December 13) - Anticipation Level: High
Thoughts: When I first heard about this sequel, I was a little concerned as the 2017 original sequel was a surprise movie that Christmas. I was concerned with this sequel until I saw the trailer and then my concerns were washed away and I got plenty of laughs. Dwayne Johnson as Danny DeVito and Kevin Hart as Danny Glover, I am pumped for this.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (December 20) - Anticipation Level: Ecstatic
Thoughts: There are many that aren't a fan of The Last Jedi two years ago, I personally really liked it, it was gorgeously shot, but I can understand the concerns behind it, and I agree that it has it's problems. Regardless, my excitement hasn't diminished for Episode 9. What adds is that JJ Abrams is back in the director's chair. I really liked The Force Awakens as that re-ignited my interest in more Star Wars movies which I wasn't too keen on after the prequels. So with that in mind, I am excited to see what we get with this last movie, plus this is suppose to be the last movie in the Skywalker saga, and I hear that JJ Abrams plans to tie all the movies together, so if this fails, it will fail with glory and ambition in my books. Regardless of the outcome, I can't wait till December 20th.
Cats (December 20) - Anticipation Level: Low
Thoughts: Are you scared? No worries, so am I, these cats look kind of freaky. There is a great cast behind it, from Rebel Wilson to Judi Dench to Idris Elba, and the director has done some pretty good movies before, so I am hoping that we get a decent movie here. Anyway, even if not, we will at least get an interesting freak show here.
1917 (December 25) - Anticipation Level: Ecstatic
Thoughts: I did not know about this movie until I saw Hobbs and Shaw and we got the teaser trailer for this, and I was just stunned by how great this movie looks. There seems to be a great cast as well, and the director is the same one that did Skyfall, so this one has my full attention. Count me in on Christmas Day for this.
Spies in Disguise (December 25) - Anticipation Level: High
Thoughts: Will Smith and Tom Holland lending voices in an animated movie, yeah sure. What gets me is that the characters they play seem to fit who I would envision them as, so for that reason I am really looking forward to seeing this movie. This could be a fun movie to watch on Christmas, so I hope this delivers and doesn't crash and burn.
So these are the movies I am aware of, with many I am very excited for, and some that might gain my interest based on how they are received. I look forward to seeing how the rest of the year turns out for movies. When I can, I will try to do review posts on some of these movies. Stay tuned.
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
Summer 2019 Review
We have come to the end of another summer full of movies. There were a few that were amazing, some that were good, and a few that were disappointments. Today I am going to take the time to rank the movies I saw this summer and how they all fit in to the categories below.
Top 5 of the Summer
1. Avengers Endgame - I don't think this is a surprise to anyone, but if this a surprise for you...umm well SURPRISE. This movie was a mind blowing experience with so many great surprises and wonderful moments that range from laugh out loud to heart warming. What was so great was that this movie was basically kept under wraps, some predicted a few things but not the whole movie, which made the experience a very pleasant surprise. We live in a world today where it feels like everything is given away in the previews. I am so glad everyone went to great lengths to keep this under wraps and beg not to spoil the movie, at least until opening weekend. This was the epic comic book movie I didn't know I really wanted and the movie that I didn't know would be possible but I am extremely grateful we have.
2. Toy Story 4 - When I heard about a 4th Toy Story being made, I thought why, the 3rd ended perfectly that I felt we didn't need one. But this came out and I saw it and I was very surprised on how well this continued the story for these characters, and how this gave a great conclusion to Woody's story. This felt like a nice adventure movie with plenty of laughs, especially from Duck and Bunny, and Duke Kaboom. The one that gave me the biggest laugh (besides from Duck and Bunny's plans to get the keys) is when Buttercup suggests to frame the dad so he goes to jail. I still think Toy Story 3 is the best, but this proved that the Toy Story world can continue with a great movie.
3. Yesterday - How would you react if you woke up one day and your favorite band disappeared from off the face of the earth? You remember the music but no one else knows what the disappeared band is. This concept is brought up in this movie as one aspiring musician decides to take this as an opportunity to present the music as his own. This is a very entertaining and original idea. The actor also does a great job at performing the songs. One of my favorite bands is U2, if they disappeared, don't turn to me to bring the music back since I am not very good with performing music.
4. Spider Man: Far From Home - After an epic adventure in Avengers Endgame, it's hard to imagine where the MCU could go, but this movie gives us a world on what would happen after the events of Endgame. As well, this was a nice palette cleanser. We get a very compelling villain with Mysterio. There is one sequence that was really mind blowing visually, talking about it in detail would be a huge spoiler, so I will just say it's mind blowing and hope you get to check it out as soon as possible, it is amazing what special effects can do these days. There are plenty of surprises, and after the movie was over I wanted to rewatch the movie with the new angle I was given.
5. The Farewell - A movie I heard about but never bother looking up a trailer for, but I heard nothing but great things about, and so I went to see it and this movie was really good. This had a story that made me think about what I would do in that scenario. For those that don't know, it's about a woman who has her grandma get diagnosed with cancer and the family chooses not to tell the grandma about it, and this is supposedly how China culture functions. This had some good laughs here and there, and great performances, especially from Awkwafina, who I have known from comedies, so it was good to see her attempt something a little more serious.
Other great movies
Hobbs and Shaw - Somehow after 8 movies, I have become a fan of the Fast and Furious movies. I did not care for the first few movies, I say the 5th movie was when things got very interesting. So we are with this spin off, and this movie was a blast to watch. Even the few cameo additions really added to the fun. Even if you aren't a fan of the series but enjoy dumb action movies, you will have a ton of fun watching this and don't have to see the other movies to enjoy it.
Detective Pikachu - I didn't grow up as a fan of Pokemon, I did watch some of the episodes of the first season and was aware of the games. Each trailer I saw for this just painted a very fun movie, and that's what I got when I saw the movie, a very fun movie where the world that was created was just fun to explore. Plus, Ryan Reynolds as Pikachu, that was perfect casting.
Enjoyable
Aladdin - This was a movie I had no anticipation to see whatsoever, if you review my list of anticipated movies, I included Lion King and Dumbo, but not this at all. I ended up enjoying this a lot more than I thought I would, this was one of the biggest surprises of the summer. Yeah, we didn't need this movie, but I feel they handled this movie very well. Props to casting Will Smith as the Genie and allowing him to put his own spin on the character instead of trying to personate what Robin Williams had done before.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters - To properly enjoy this movie, watch it on the big screen, I understand this isn't in theaters anymore, I mean watching it on a big screen TV or projector screen. This is a movie that was made to be experienced on the biggest screen possible, even on your biggest TV you have at home, and a very good home theater set up. I saw this on the IMAX screen and many of the shots of the movie were so epic, and the monster fights were enhanced by experiencing it in that way. Also, don't go in expecting a deep story, just go in for awesome monster fights and you will have a fun time.
Scary Stories to Tell In The Dark - I don't have many experiences with the books this movie is based on. I might have heard a couple of the stories, but I don't have a strong connection to the stories. I went because I had a few friends that invited me to join, and I was curious enough to check it out. I ended up enjoying the movie more than I expected to. This had the right amount of scares for me. I was entertained, and this could end up as one of those movies that I might put on my list of movies during the Halloween season.
Watch once, then move on
The Lion King (2019) - Let's describe this movie as the photorealistic version of Lion King. It is suppose to be live action, but since it's done on a computer it's basically animated but it's animated in a way it's suppose to represent real life, so I consider it photorealistic. I didn't have high expectations, but I did have hopes that this would be more different than it turned out to be. The big disappointment for me was this was a movie was done better in traditional animation, and I understand the reason, the creators were trying to trying to go for a realistic approach, and since lions don't show emotion in real life, they didn't emote here and that became a distraction for me. However, the visuals were still incredible, and the story is still good. This was just one of those I wished they did something a little more different with, kind of like Aladdin.
Men In Black International - Ever since I saw the trailer in December, I was excited for this, it looked like it was going to be a fun movie, I ended up being really disappointed with it. However, once we got past the first half of the movie, it got better and I enjoyed it more than the first half, so I walked away with a smile on my face at the end of the movie. However it wasn't enough for me to make this a repeat watch, which is sad because the first movie is one I can watch quite a bit and also the third one as well.
47 Meters Down Uncaged - This should probably be in the major disappointments below, but the thing is, I wasn't disappointed...because I had no expectations going in at all. Did this excel my expectations then? No. But I certainly got plenty of laughs out of this, one could almost say this was one of the best unintentional comedies I saw this summer. The decisions made were kind of baffling. But hey, you want a dumb shark movie and want stupid unintentional laughs, this movie is perfect, but I would wait for Netflix.
Major disappointments
Dark Phoenix - I really think they should have ended the Fox X-Men saga with Logan, that was a perfect ending, also, X-Men Apocalypse ended the prequel trilogy just fine, we didn't need a continuation. So with all this in mind, I had no expectations when I saw the first trailer debut last year. My expectations didn't grow overtime, but I decided to see it regardless. Even with no expectations, I was surprisingly disappointed because I realized there was potential with the movie and it could have been somewhat fixed with a different director and made different choices.
So these are the movies that I saw this summer. There are some I didn't see this summer that I would like to check out soon, and if they blow my expectations away, I might include them on my top 10 at the end of the year. Anyway, I will be back later with a list of my most anticipated movies of the rest of the year. See you soon.
Top 5 of the Summer
1. Avengers Endgame - I don't think this is a surprise to anyone, but if this a surprise for you...umm well SURPRISE. This movie was a mind blowing experience with so many great surprises and wonderful moments that range from laugh out loud to heart warming. What was so great was that this movie was basically kept under wraps, some predicted a few things but not the whole movie, which made the experience a very pleasant surprise. We live in a world today where it feels like everything is given away in the previews. I am so glad everyone went to great lengths to keep this under wraps and beg not to spoil the movie, at least until opening weekend. This was the epic comic book movie I didn't know I really wanted and the movie that I didn't know would be possible but I am extremely grateful we have.
2. Toy Story 4 - When I heard about a 4th Toy Story being made, I thought why, the 3rd ended perfectly that I felt we didn't need one. But this came out and I saw it and I was very surprised on how well this continued the story for these characters, and how this gave a great conclusion to Woody's story. This felt like a nice adventure movie with plenty of laughs, especially from Duck and Bunny, and Duke Kaboom. The one that gave me the biggest laugh (besides from Duck and Bunny's plans to get the keys) is when Buttercup suggests to frame the dad so he goes to jail. I still think Toy Story 3 is the best, but this proved that the Toy Story world can continue with a great movie.
3. Yesterday - How would you react if you woke up one day and your favorite band disappeared from off the face of the earth? You remember the music but no one else knows what the disappeared band is. This concept is brought up in this movie as one aspiring musician decides to take this as an opportunity to present the music as his own. This is a very entertaining and original idea. The actor also does a great job at performing the songs. One of my favorite bands is U2, if they disappeared, don't turn to me to bring the music back since I am not very good with performing music.
4. Spider Man: Far From Home - After an epic adventure in Avengers Endgame, it's hard to imagine where the MCU could go, but this movie gives us a world on what would happen after the events of Endgame. As well, this was a nice palette cleanser. We get a very compelling villain with Mysterio. There is one sequence that was really mind blowing visually, talking about it in detail would be a huge spoiler, so I will just say it's mind blowing and hope you get to check it out as soon as possible, it is amazing what special effects can do these days. There are plenty of surprises, and after the movie was over I wanted to rewatch the movie with the new angle I was given.
5. The Farewell - A movie I heard about but never bother looking up a trailer for, but I heard nothing but great things about, and so I went to see it and this movie was really good. This had a story that made me think about what I would do in that scenario. For those that don't know, it's about a woman who has her grandma get diagnosed with cancer and the family chooses not to tell the grandma about it, and this is supposedly how China culture functions. This had some good laughs here and there, and great performances, especially from Awkwafina, who I have known from comedies, so it was good to see her attempt something a little more serious.
Other great movies
Hobbs and Shaw - Somehow after 8 movies, I have become a fan of the Fast and Furious movies. I did not care for the first few movies, I say the 5th movie was when things got very interesting. So we are with this spin off, and this movie was a blast to watch. Even the few cameo additions really added to the fun. Even if you aren't a fan of the series but enjoy dumb action movies, you will have a ton of fun watching this and don't have to see the other movies to enjoy it.
Detective Pikachu - I didn't grow up as a fan of Pokemon, I did watch some of the episodes of the first season and was aware of the games. Each trailer I saw for this just painted a very fun movie, and that's what I got when I saw the movie, a very fun movie where the world that was created was just fun to explore. Plus, Ryan Reynolds as Pikachu, that was perfect casting.
Enjoyable
Aladdin - This was a movie I had no anticipation to see whatsoever, if you review my list of anticipated movies, I included Lion King and Dumbo, but not this at all. I ended up enjoying this a lot more than I thought I would, this was one of the biggest surprises of the summer. Yeah, we didn't need this movie, but I feel they handled this movie very well. Props to casting Will Smith as the Genie and allowing him to put his own spin on the character instead of trying to personate what Robin Williams had done before.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters - To properly enjoy this movie, watch it on the big screen, I understand this isn't in theaters anymore, I mean watching it on a big screen TV or projector screen. This is a movie that was made to be experienced on the biggest screen possible, even on your biggest TV you have at home, and a very good home theater set up. I saw this on the IMAX screen and many of the shots of the movie were so epic, and the monster fights were enhanced by experiencing it in that way. Also, don't go in expecting a deep story, just go in for awesome monster fights and you will have a fun time.
Scary Stories to Tell In The Dark - I don't have many experiences with the books this movie is based on. I might have heard a couple of the stories, but I don't have a strong connection to the stories. I went because I had a few friends that invited me to join, and I was curious enough to check it out. I ended up enjoying the movie more than I expected to. This had the right amount of scares for me. I was entertained, and this could end up as one of those movies that I might put on my list of movies during the Halloween season.
Watch once, then move on
The Lion King (2019) - Let's describe this movie as the photorealistic version of Lion King. It is suppose to be live action, but since it's done on a computer it's basically animated but it's animated in a way it's suppose to represent real life, so I consider it photorealistic. I didn't have high expectations, but I did have hopes that this would be more different than it turned out to be. The big disappointment for me was this was a movie was done better in traditional animation, and I understand the reason, the creators were trying to trying to go for a realistic approach, and since lions don't show emotion in real life, they didn't emote here and that became a distraction for me. However, the visuals were still incredible, and the story is still good. This was just one of those I wished they did something a little more different with, kind of like Aladdin.
Men In Black International - Ever since I saw the trailer in December, I was excited for this, it looked like it was going to be a fun movie, I ended up being really disappointed with it. However, once we got past the first half of the movie, it got better and I enjoyed it more than the first half, so I walked away with a smile on my face at the end of the movie. However it wasn't enough for me to make this a repeat watch, which is sad because the first movie is one I can watch quite a bit and also the third one as well.
47 Meters Down Uncaged - This should probably be in the major disappointments below, but the thing is, I wasn't disappointed...because I had no expectations going in at all. Did this excel my expectations then? No. But I certainly got plenty of laughs out of this, one could almost say this was one of the best unintentional comedies I saw this summer. The decisions made were kind of baffling. But hey, you want a dumb shark movie and want stupid unintentional laughs, this movie is perfect, but I would wait for Netflix.
Major disappointments
Dark Phoenix - I really think they should have ended the Fox X-Men saga with Logan, that was a perfect ending, also, X-Men Apocalypse ended the prequel trilogy just fine, we didn't need a continuation. So with all this in mind, I had no expectations when I saw the first trailer debut last year. My expectations didn't grow overtime, but I decided to see it regardless. Even with no expectations, I was surprisingly disappointed because I realized there was potential with the movie and it could have been somewhat fixed with a different director and made different choices.
So these are the movies that I saw this summer. There are some I didn't see this summer that I would like to check out soon, and if they blow my expectations away, I might include them on my top 10 at the end of the year. Anyway, I will be back later with a list of my most anticipated movies of the rest of the year. See you soon.
Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Tenet teaser - a nice treat
I went to see Hobbs and Shaw last Thursday when it opened and it was a ton of fun. But I got one surprise that I wasn’t expecting, a teaser for Christopher Nolan’s next movie, Tenet. It was about a minute and only gave glimpses of the movie and not enough to put together a narrative or to give us an idea of what kind of movie to expect, but the vibe of the trailer reminded me of the teaser for Inception which debuted about 11 months before the movie came out. This teaser was a special treat and gave me a nice taste of what to expect and I can’t wait for the full course meal next year.
After the debut of the teaser, I realized I didn’t find it online earlier that day, or afterwards at the time of writing this. I don’t get as excited about seeing teasers or trailers on the big screen because I can find them online or there are so many that I tend to think “not another one”, but this was a treat. It also got me thinking that it would be cool to make the teaser and/or trailer available in theaters first before dropping them online. I don’t think this needs to be the case for every movie, but certain ones. What do you think?
Thursday, June 13, 2019
Toy Story 4 - Excited or concerned?
Nine years ago, we were given Toy Story 3, the conclusion to a great trilogy that was part of our lives for 15 years, the first movie was a phenomenon, as it was the first computer animated feature length film, then the second one was a great follow up, and then the third gave a fantastic conclusion to this great trilogy....or so we thought. I don't remember when it was announced, but soon we found out that there would be a Toy Story 4. My first reaction was why, we had a great conclusion and we don't need a follow up, I was guessing that they had success with the shorts that featured Woody and the gang in Bonnie's house, so my thought was that they wanted to capitalize on that success and make another one, my initial thought was that they wanted more money, and of course that would be the reason for most of these movies in the film industry, but then I wondered if they had another reason behind it, I didn't think about that until recently.
Each time I see a trailer for the new Toy Story movie, there was nothing that really got me excited to see it, it seemed like a movie that was created just to get more cash for Pixar and that was it, it seemed like a new adventure with no real reason to continue the series. So that is the trailers, but then I started looking into the articles that talked about the movie where they interviewed the principle actors of the main characters, mainly Tom Hanks and Tim Allen. I first read that Tim Allen got emotional when he came in to record the final scene for the movie, he said it was tough for him to get through. At this time, I have no clue what that exactly means. Not too long ago, there was another article where Tom Hanks talked about being warned by Tim Allen about recording the final scene and how it was a tough one, and Tom Hanks admitted it was tough for him to get through. Based on this, it sounds like it's more than just the realization that this would be the last time these characters would be playing these iconic characters, but that there was more to this final scene. The next piece I heard is that when Toy Story 4 was proposed, many shot it down because there was already a conclusion to the series, and then it was stated that Toy Story 3 was a conclusion to Andy's story, but that they should do a conclusion to Woody's story.
So with all this in mind, am I excited or concerned? I prefer to say that I am intrigued. I heard reports that this was suppose to come out a while back so it appears that they took their time to get this right, so I think it's safe to assume that this movie will probably surprise us. Either way, I will go see this opening weekend and will try to share my impressions of it as soon as I can.
Each time I see a trailer for the new Toy Story movie, there was nothing that really got me excited to see it, it seemed like a movie that was created just to get more cash for Pixar and that was it, it seemed like a new adventure with no real reason to continue the series. So that is the trailers, but then I started looking into the articles that talked about the movie where they interviewed the principle actors of the main characters, mainly Tom Hanks and Tim Allen. I first read that Tim Allen got emotional when he came in to record the final scene for the movie, he said it was tough for him to get through. At this time, I have no clue what that exactly means. Not too long ago, there was another article where Tom Hanks talked about being warned by Tim Allen about recording the final scene and how it was a tough one, and Tom Hanks admitted it was tough for him to get through. Based on this, it sounds like it's more than just the realization that this would be the last time these characters would be playing these iconic characters, but that there was more to this final scene. The next piece I heard is that when Toy Story 4 was proposed, many shot it down because there was already a conclusion to the series, and then it was stated that Toy Story 3 was a conclusion to Andy's story, but that they should do a conclusion to Woody's story.
So with all this in mind, am I excited or concerned? I prefer to say that I am intrigued. I heard reports that this was suppose to come out a while back so it appears that they took their time to get this right, so I think it's safe to assume that this movie will probably surprise us. Either way, I will go see this opening weekend and will try to share my impressions of it as soon as I can.
Wednesday, June 5, 2019
Personal Ranking of the X-Men movies
My experience with the X-Men movies has been a very interesting ride to say the least. There are some I really like, and others that I thought were alright, and a couple that are just painful to watch. With the last X-Men movie coming out under the Fox name, I thought now would be an appropriate time to do a personal ranking of all the X-Men movies under the Fox name, this is going to include the Wolverine movies. I will not be including the Deadpool movies on this list as I have not seen them. So here is my ranking:
9. X-Men Origins Wolverine - This may be the last on many personal rankings, or at the least near the bottom. I was looking forward to this, I was kind of excited to see the origins of Wolverine and get a solo movie of this X-Men favorite. I saw it before everyone else got to see it, and I was really disappointed with the final result. I haven't rewatched this in years, but I may rewatch it at some point to see how it is after all these years.
8. X-Men: The Last Stand - I didn't get to see this in theaters, but caught it on video many months later. I heard about the main demises, so I already wasn't too excited going in, and also I remember the scope of X2 being really impressive, and this just felt like a weak conclusion compared to what we got in the last entry. There were a few pluses, one of them being Kelsey Grammar as Beast.
7. X-Men Apocalypse - At the time of writing, I have not seen this since theaters, I enjoyed it when I saw it but for some reason, this one never really got me excited in the X-Men franchise, maybe it was because I got more invested in the MCU at that point, but I wasn't disappointed because I didn't get too excited by the trailers either, so it was a movie that kind of came and went for me. However, I really liked the Quicksilver sequence in the middle of the movie, and there were some cool moments here and there.
6. The Wolverine - This is another movie I saw the trailers for and I didn't get too excited for, so I wasn't expecting anything, but then I saw it and I was kind of surprised by it. Yes it dragged in certain areas and there were issues with the story, but this was a visually interesting movie and a very interesting experience that I really appreciated it. I just really liked the atmosphere that this movie presented, and I also liked how it handled the relationship between Logan and Jean. Yes, there are other ones that I appreciate more, but this one has a unique place for me and I enjoy re-experiencing here and there.
5. X-Men - The first X-Men movie we ever got, I was familiar with the cartoon series from the 90s, though I did not watch it faithfully, but I saw a few episodes, so I was familiar with the world of X-Men because of the series, and a few video games I played as well, so I was looking forward to this for that reason, and this was very entertaining. I got to admit that rewatching it all these years later, some parts are dated, but what sticks out is how small this movie feels compared to all the other movies we got later on, that is the crazy part for me. I also felt that the people cast fit their roles well, especially Patrick Stewart as Professor X, Ian McKellen as Magneto, and definitely Hugh Jackman as Wolverine.
4. X-Men First Class - When I saw the first trailer, I thought that this was it, this was the movie that would end the X-Men series, at this would tank and it would be done with, I wasn't impressed with X-Men 3 or X-Men Origins Wolverine, so I thought the series was through. I then heard the reviews were good and then I ended up seeing it and I was very surprised, and not only that, this is one of those movies that I am able to rewatch. It continues to be very entertaining and the story very well crafted. This movie is the biggest surprise in the series, and the connections that were established here really brought an interesting perspective on the original trilogy.
3. Logan - This one was very intriguing to me. I heard that this would be the very last time that Hugh Jackman would play the role of Wolverine, so for that reason I was very intrigued on how they would handle the ending to such a favorite character. I have only seen this once, but I really appreciate the smaller scale story that this one had, I also really like the atmosphere that this movie presented for all that viewed it, kind of that feeling of being a western almost. It was very well shot and very well written. This may be on the top of almost everyone's list, but there are three that had more of an impact than this one did, but this doesn't dismiss this one from being extremely well crafted.
3. Logan - This one was very intriguing to me. I heard that this would be the very last time that Hugh Jackman would play the role of Wolverine, so for that reason I was very intrigued on how they would handle the ending to such a favorite character. I have only seen this once, but I really appreciate the smaller scale story that this one had, I also really like the atmosphere that this movie presented for all that viewed it, kind of that feeling of being a western almost. It was very well shot and very well written. This may be on the top of almost everyone's list, but there are three that had more of an impact than this one did, but this doesn't dismiss this one from being extremely well crafted.
2. X2: X-Men United - Ever since the release of the first movie, I was looking forward to the sequel and where things would go next. This movie was before the establishment of the MCU, so sequels to comic book movies were still in an early stage, but I had high hopes for this, with people comparing that this could be the next Empire Strikes Back, and in many ways it was, it really expanded on everything that was established in the first movie, and also gave us new threads on where things could go next. This felt like a bigger movie than the first one which made things more exciting.
1. X-Men: Days of Future Past - As I learned more about this movie, my anticipation grew, it was going to include the cast from the original X-Men trilogy, and the cast from X-Men First Class, it would involve time travel, and Bryan Singer, the director of the first two X-Men movies was coming back, I was excited for this. This movie delivered in what I was hoping for in this, an epic story with lots to take in and appreciate. In my opinion, this movie takes the best of everything and gives us a good story and many exciting moments and great interactions. It also gave me moments that I didn't know I wanted, like the sequence with Quicksilver. This is easily my favorite in the X-Men series under Fox.
With Dark Phoenix coming out, I have been uncertain on what to think of it, but with it being the last with this iteration of characters (with the exception of Wolverine since he already got his conclusion), I am very interested in how they wrap up the story, I have heard not so pleasant things from early screenings and all, but I want to wait till the movie comes out before casting judgement.
With Dark Phoenix coming out, I have been uncertain on what to think of it, but with it being the last with this iteration of characters (with the exception of Wolverine since he already got his conclusion), I am very interested in how they wrap up the story, I have heard not so pleasant things from early screenings and all, but I want to wait till the movie comes out before casting judgement.
Thursday, May 30, 2019
Big surprise, Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance trailer arrives
As you are all aware, I am a fan of The Dark Crystal, the world created for that movie has always fascinated me, and I have enjoyed revisiting it over the years. I have also been reading the sequel comic book series and also started reading the prequel novels. So yeah I have been furthering the world more recently. I have been looking forward to the Netflix series Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance for a while now, and I have been awaiting for information on the series, images, anything. I got on Facebook this morning and I found the poster, and it was a jaw dropping poster.
I figured with the drop of the poster we would get a trailer soon, figured maybe tomorrow, but I got on YouTube shortly afterwards and found the trailer, I immediately checked it out and I was blown away by how gorgeous and amazing the trailer is. I saw photos that helped establish how close the feel is to the original. I figured they would get the feel right and that it would be good, didn’t know that it would be this spectacular. I didn’t take into account how the technology had advanced. The imagery was beautiful and the creation of the puppets are amazing and I really like how with this series they are using practical work to make this possible instead of relying solely on digital, I love digital work but there is always something special with practical effects, altogether I was simply blown away. Waiting for three months for this to arrive will be tough but it will be worth it.
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