Tag Archives: Movie Review

Movie Review: Thunderbolts

Tags : Movie Review

After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap, an unconventional team of antiheroes must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts.

Why did I come to this movie again?

This movie looked funny. I expected it to be full of sarcasm and ridiculousness. I also adore a good misfits story.

5 of 5

Characters

There were a lot of characters, which could be confusing to people who haven’t rewatched a bunch of MCU content lately.

Yes, the film did a pretty good job quickly introducing everyone and giving enough backstory that you got the gist of what they’d been through, but to get the best experience I think you need to at least refresh Black Widow and Flacon and the Winter Soldier.

That being said, I really loved what they did with Yelena’s character. Sure, she’s an assassin with spades of confidence in her workplace, but she’s both lonely and depressed. Something we can all relate to.

Each of the team has similar issues.

Then toss in Bob’s questionable mental health, and you have a bunch of characters that are strangely relatable.

I also really liked that they didn’t make Bucky the main character. He’s more of a mentor, because he’s also been down a dark path but has found the light again.

4 of 5

Did I care what happened?

Yes!

Buddy comedies are some of my favorite stories, and they’re even better if the people are enemies (or at least frenemies) to begin with. Watching a team go from dysfunctional to united will keep me coming back for more all day long.

Was most of the movie predictable? Yes. Was the bad lady over the top? Yes. Was I bothered? No. I wanted to see what happened and how the team would deal with it.

4 of 5

Plot Holes

It’s a Marvel movie, of course there were plot holes.

However, I was happy enough with the execution of the theme and the plot that I was happy to ignore them.

4 of 5

How many times did I yawn?

No yawning. And we saw this at midnight, so that’s saying something!

At some points the film moved too quickly through some important moments.

4 of 5

Cool Factor

The action was fun in this one. Of course it’s over the top, but that was the whole movie.

I did love it when the team went to face Sentry and had to retreat. I also loved that it was in the same room that Hulk plastered Loki. There were a bunch of similar callbacks that I really enjoyed picking out.

And when Sentry started doing his darkness thing to people…Yikes. It was eerie.

4 of 5

The End

I loved the climax of this movie. Instead of a huge battle involving explosions and New York getting totally destroyed again (there is some of this, but it’s not the point) we dive into the minds of hearts of the characters. The theme revolves around loneliness, sadness, and mental illness. At the end, the Thunderbolts unite to help one guy who is suffering.

Sure, he’s also on his way to trapping everyone in their own personal hell, so the team is saving the world, but they do it by helping one person in a way only people who have been through similar things can.

I really loved that.

5 of 5

Overall Enjoyment

You know, I was pleasantly surprised by this film. I went in hoping I’d get some laughs out of it, which I did, but I was blindsided by the beautiful (and sometimes hilarious) way the filmmakers tackled complex emotions.

I cheered for Yelena. My heart broke for John Walker. I rolled my eyes at Alexei, but he was also hurting inside. Bob was literally a victim, but the others helped him see he didn’t have to give in.

If you’re willing to give a Marvel movie a chance, try this one. You might be surprised.

5 of 5

Total: 35

That’s a Brown Belt!

White Belt: 1-10
Yellow Belt: 11-19
Purple Belt: 20-25
Green Belt: 26-30
Brown Belt: 31-35
Black Belt: 36-40

The Electric State Movie Review

Tags : Movie Review

An orphaned teen hits the road with a mysterious robot to find her long-lost brother, teaming up with a smuggler and his wisecracking sidekick.

Why did I come to this movie again?

I knew nothing about this movie. Absolutely nothing. The hubby had seen an ad or something, and we were both down sick and got tired of watching anime, so we put this on.

4 of 5

Characters

While I loosely enjoyed this movie, I have plenty of somewhat negative things to say about it. Starting with the characters.

Michelle, the teenage girl of the 90s, was the main character. Sadly, I never really connected with her. She was angry, but not angry enough to have that be her defining characteristic, and nothing else endeared her to me.

Keats, who was playing the role of the “old, wise master” didn’t have enough backstory for me to care about him. It was basically Chris Pratt playing Chris Pratt. Sometimes that works, but here it didn’t.

Michelle’s brother, who inhabits the body of a robot for most of the movie, was the most interesting of the bunch, but we didn’t get enough of him.

The bad guy was bad.

The robots were both good and bad. Repressed and bullies.

All in all, the characters were fine, but not strong enough for me to really cheer for them.

3 of 5

Did I care what happened?

I did wonder how things would work out. I wasn’t on the edge of my seat, but the film kept my interest most of the time.

4 of 5

Plot Holes

There were plenty of these. But it’s an action schlock movie so I expect it. A handful of inconsistencies threw me out of the story. Like why lock the robots up? Why not just shut them down or deny them power? Especially since the stance of the humans was that the robots weren’t alive?

This is based on a graphic novel, which is likely much better.

4 of 5

How many times did I yawn?

Like I said, it wasn’t riveting, but I didn’t fall asleep.

4 of 5

Cool Factor

This movie was apparently big budget, and the visuals were solid.

What didn’t work was any nostalgia toward the 90s, which I think they were going for. While this is an alternate timeline from ours—robots were invented in the 50s—it felt like they tried to pull in people who grew up in the 90s. I’m a little older than that, but I don’t think much of it hit the mark.

3 of 5

The End

Uh, the good guys won. That’s all I really remember.

3 of 5

Overall Enjoyment

The actors tried. The visual effects artists did great.

The creators of this film didn’t pick an audience. It’s kid-friendly (clean) but not really for kids. It’s got great visuals and a fun robot premise, but it’s too childish for adults. They missed the mark for the 90s kids.

Basically this film doesn’t know what it is, and that made enjoying it more difficult.

3 of 5

Total: 28

That’s a Green Belt!

White Belt: 1-10
Yellow Belt: 11-19
Purple Belt: 20-25
Green Belt: 26-30
Brown Belt: 31-35
Black Belt: 36-40

Flow Movie Review

Tags : Movie Review

Cat is a solitary animal, but as its home is devastated by a great flood, he finds refuge on a boat populated by various species, and will have to team up with them despite their differences.

Why did I come to this movie again?

I saw this as an option at my local theater a few weeks ago. I’d never heard of it, but I’m a fan of animated movies, so I watched the trailer. I’m not always up for super artsy shows, but this one looked both thought provoking and fun. Also, the main character is an adorable cat, and since I’m sort of addicted to cat videos online, I talked to hubby into coming with me to see Flow.

I knew going in that there was no dialogue, and I also knew that this film isn’t for everyone.

5 of 5

Characters

I’ve never had a cat, or any pet actually—I’m terribly allergic—so I’ve made myself an aunt to my friends and family’s cats and dogs.

From what I know of animals, this movie did a good job representing each species. In a general sense, of course. I loved the way they all played off of one another, and how none of them really wanted to be alone during a crisis. Even the cat, who was a little grumpy.

4 of 5

Did I care what happened?

Yes!

First off, the world looked like it had housed humans not long before the flood happens, but now they’re all gone. We never find out why.

I really loved the way each new character/animal was introduced and how they kept the plot going.

There was almost always something interesting going on, which kept both me and the hubby engaged.

A few slow bits are the only exception. It felt as if the writer/director was waxing poetic a couple of times.

4 of 5

Plot Holes

You have to take this movie at face value and understand that things just happen. Is a flood like that possible? Don’t waste your time trying to science that out. The animals can steer a boat? Just accept it. Where did the humans go? Doesn’t matter to the story.

If you immerse yourself and don’t get distracted by questions that really don’t matter to the film, then you’ll be fine.

That being said, I still have no idea what was with the bird at the end. We had a few interesting thoughts, but it was…strange. It felt out of place.

4 of 5

How many times did I yawn?

The movie is just under 90 minutes, and I thought that was a perfect length. The story had been told and it was time to be finished.

As I said, there were a few slower moments that actually dragged. Other than that, I was entertained.

4 of 5

Cool Factor

Most of the animation in this film was stunning!

The lighting on the animals was…artistic. I didn’t love it because it kept pulling me out of the story. Much of the time it looked as if the animals hadn’t rendered properly and were still sort of buffering. There wasn’t nearly as much clarity on them as the background.

It looked okay, and I’m sure there’s a good reason for doing it that way, but it was distracting.

4 of 5

The End

The finale of the film felt a little rushed.

The whole thing with the bird was weird.

I did love that the crew came back together after the flood receded. That was the point—friendship, overcoming hard things, and even a little death thrown in—and I thought it was beautiful.

4 of 5

Overall Enjoyment

Like I said, this is an artsy film. Is it for everyone? Nope.

I enjoyed it. I probably wouldn’t watch it again anytime soon, but I loved how it explored everyday issues in a new a beautiful way. The cat, who was a happy loaner at the beginning of the story, had to get over its prejudice of others and eventually found a family.

The dog had to ditch its mean friends to be with good influences.

The other animals went on similar journeys.

All while banding together to face increasingly difficult challenges that they’d never seen before.

5 of 5

Total: 34

That’s a Brown Belt!

White Belt: 1-10
Yellow Belt: 11-19
Purple Belt: 20-25
Green Belt: 26-30
Brown Belt: 31-35
Black Belt: 36-40

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Movie Review

Tags : Movie Review

Nobody is ready for the mayhem and surprises that ensue when six of the worst youngsters disrupt the town’s yearly Christmas performance.

Why did I come to this movie again?

I never got around to seeing this before Christmas. Better late than never, right?

This show is a nostalgic thing for me. I remember one of my elementary school teachers reading this to my class. I don’t recall which teacher or which grade I was in, but I’ve always remembered how good the book made me feel. Also, it was funny, and I love me some humor.

I’m a spiritual person, so beware, this is coming from someone who loves things like this.

5 of 5

Characters

The cast of characters in this film is big. Because it’s based on a children’s book, most of them are simple archetypes.

The women of the church congregation, minus Beth’s mom, are all uppity, snobbish, and downright horrible. Their children are mostly awful as well.

The Herdman kids were all crazy and out of control.

All of this was fine for me. I expected it and they delivered solid characters, even if they were mostly one-dimensional.

I did love Beth’s dad. He cracked me up. The minster was cool as well.

Beth and Imogene had the most interesting character arcs.

I really sympathize with Beth, because I’m the one who tries to do the right thing, but sometimes I hate it because I look weak or whatever. Beth trusts the convictions she’s learned in church about being a good person and gets to see the fruits of her labors.

On the flip side Imogene finds out she’s not alone, and that makes all the difference.

4 of 5

Did I care what happened?

Of course! This story is one train wreck after another, and if you’ve ever tried to put on an event like a Christmas Pageant, then you probably had some PTSD while watching a few scenes of the movie.

The great thing about the story is that it keeps you hoping that things will work out and that people are, deep down, basically good.

4 of 5

Plot Holes

I didn’t really notice any. The book that the movie is based on is pretty solid, so while I’m sure I could poke some holes in it, I’m not going to try.

5 of 5

How many times did I yawn?

No yawning. The pacing of the show worked. The scenes alternated nicely between disaster, recovery, fun, and sweet.

Honestly, I thought it could have been a few minutes longer.

4 of 5

Cool Factor

There aren’t any fancy special effects in this movie, so I’d have to say the cool factor was the 70s vibe that came through. The book was published in the early 1970s, and this film didn’t try to update it, nor did they dwell on the fact that it was in the past. It just was, and it worked.

5 of 5

The End

The end of this show kills me. In a good way. I love me a feel-good ending that leaves me thinking about how I can improve my own life but not highlight my (many) imperfections.

I do have one gripe, and it’s a “The book was better” thing, so feel free to ignore this.

There’s a moment in the book, during the pageant, when the kid who’s playing the innkeeper says something that I’ve never forgotten. Like I can still feel the air around me from the room I was in when I first heard it.

The innkeeper isn’t one of the Herdman clan, but is supposed to turn Mary and Joseph, played by two of the Herdmans, away.

The kids aren’t supposed to say anything during the pageant, and if I remember right, this kid is the first one who cracks. As Mary and Joseph are walking away this innkeeper feels so bad for them that he calls them back and tells them to take his room/bed.

I know why they didn’t put it in the movie—it would have been a distraction from how they presented the pageant—but I really missed that bit.

4 of 5

Overall Enjoyment

Loved it! I’ll probably buy it and watch it every year. A true meaning of Christmas story.

5 of 5

Total: 31

That’s a Black Belt!

White Belt: 1-10
Yellow Belt: 11-19
Purple Belt: 20-25
Green Belt: 26-30
Brown Belt: 31-35
Black Belt: 36-40