Movies: Last Movie You Watched and Rate it | {Insert Appropriate Seasonal Greeting Here}

[shadow1]

Mission: Impossible III (2006)

Several things spring to mind.

Tom Cruise makes films so he can kiss women. Tom Cruise makes action movies so he can kiss women and then talk about women at inopportune moments when the action is happening. Philip Seymour Hoffman is a tremendous loss. This is the second JJ Abrams film I've seen where he takes a popular, career defining franchise and makes a new instalment which pretty much copies the entire plot from the original. This was originally supposed to be directed by David Fincher and that would have been much more entertaining.

When I read your review, my brain automatically added an awkward mid-2000's green filter...

 

[Ceremony]

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011)

Some observations: Tom Cruise is an alien trying to figure out what humans are or an android trying to figure out how to fit in with humans. Ethan Hunt is an arsehole who risks the lives of his fellow agents (is this a surprise when we're four films in and Ving Rhames has finally realised that a celebratory drink at the end is the safest option?) Lea Seydoux is the most attractive person I've ever seen. Gerald from The Full Monty shows up in weird places. Overall the film felt like a bunch of showpiece locations/stunts that were thought of and filmed before someone thought of writing a plot to combine them. No wonder Putin hates The West if this is what The West makes of Russia.

Bumblebee (2018)

Could you imagine a film made forty years from now where a misunderstood outcast teenager who always has perfect hair goes about listening to Billie Eilish and Post Malone and a bunch of losers (of multiple generations) in the audience think it's amazing? No thank you. At least you could tell the robots apart in this one.

 

[shadow1]

Therapeutically went back to my horror passion for this week:

Kuroneko/Black Cat (1968) (subtitles)
3.15 out of 4stars

“Set during Japan’s civil war, a woman and her daughter-in-law are raped and killed by samurai soldiers. Soon they reappear as vengeful ghosts who seduce and brutally murder the passing samurai.”
A great fantasy horror that uses a haunting revenge folktale to give commentary on war, love, and humanity. Told with dreamy elegant visuals, there is an overarching theme of the lawless brutal nature of war, to go with its twisted perspectives of wrongly glorified attributes/achievements and upside down code of ethics. Lust here also is seen as a dark hole to one’s own downfall with war. By bringing a familial element into the mix, it grounds war into the personal impacts it has on everyone involved by giving connective names and faces to the people involved with an element of grief. And all at once, war becomes a battle of conscience, between life and death, love and war, peace and discord. The film has this sense of somber battling for one’s soul/spirit next to one’s animalistic urges, altogether a sympathetic condemning look at humanity. And the horror itself, brings nice eerie supernatural touches and action scenes. Other themes seem to be women’s/lower-class oppression, the power of warlords, and socio-political issues.

Audition (1999) (subtitles)
3.10 out of 4stars

“A widower takes an offer to screen girls at an especially made acting audition unbeknownst to the auditioners, arranged for him by a producer friend to find him a new wife. The one he fancies though may not be everything that she appears to be.”
A great satire psychological drama horror that is only partly the shocking grisly body horror film it is famously touted as. Yes, there are a bit of those elements, mostly in the last quarter of the film that in and of itself is metaphorically on point with purposefully gray areas, but the film is unfairly sold very short by categorizing it like that and honestly misinterpreting it as a whole by doing so. First and foremost, the film is a slowly unfolding satire/deep-psychological drama about dating, spousal searches, motives, romanticizing, objectifying, objectivity, deception, obsession, loneliness, gender roles/societal expectations, externalities, and trauma/guilt. Delivers great mood and mental engagement. It can be oversimplified as an in-depth psychological analysis of shortcomings and separations and problems all around with dating, as well as the exploration of one man’s psyche as he steps back into the dating world. But the meaning can go beyond that as well in this layered film. The narrative choices made create a wonderfully flowing and evolving perspective and eventual breakneck realizations/implications. Understandably the film has been given comparisons to and having influence from David Lynch and David Cronenberg’s work.

Ringu (1998) (subtitles)
3.00 out of 4stars

“A reporter and her ex-husband investigate a cursed video tape that is rumored to kill the viewer seven days after watching it.”
A great supernatural horror with a heavily creepy atmosphere. When a good horror plot meets a solidly developed story that’s well directed, it creates such dread. Unknown/unseen murderers play with the imagination of the viewer and victim effectively. The metaphor/theme I’d suggest is about VHS/Visual-Media/Technology’s exposure negatively affecting people/adolescents, either by negative subject-related influence or addictive control/consumption. Compared to the American remake, it’s more complex and explanatory with a couple less shock visuals and lower production values, for those curious. I’m not sure if I’d call either version notably better, just a bit different.

I've read the Audition novella but am too queasy to check out the film. Thanks for the review.

 

[OzzyFan]

I've read the Audition novella but am too queasy to check out the film. Thanks for the review.

Cool. I don't blame you on the queasy part. There are definitely some well done/well-felt WTF moments.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

Deja Vu (2006) - 7/10

This was shaping up to be a pretty good investigative action flick till it got all sci-fi mumbo jumbo. Denzel is a bit one-note I find in the films I've seen from him but at his best he's a pretty fun actor to watch. The film's pacing is hectic and it ends up being a pretty run of the mill chase the bad guy against time climax.

The Beauty Inside (2015) - 7/10

Korean film with a strange premise about a man who wakes up to a new body each morning and it does this quite well at times but being a Korean film, it does it with its share of melodrama and attempt at cute angst. It works at times, it's flat at others, but it's better than most Holywood romantic films from the past-decade anyways.

Stage Door (1937) - 7/10

Not sure how I feel about the last 15-20 minutes but the rest of the film, especially with the scenes between Katherine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers are sharp well-written classic cinema at its best. The sort of loud but not screwball old film you really need subtitles for because of how fast it moves and makes you wonder why can't they write at this level anymore? The writers surely didn't get stupider but maybe they thought the audience did.

 

[Ceremony]

Mission: Impossible: Fallout (2018)

I don't even care any more. Although I did notice Tom Cruise didn't have a hair out of place or a bead of sweat anywhere on him both while running at least two miles across and through buildings, or when climbing up a rope attached to a helicopter, throwing the helicopter's crew out of it and then getting it back under control, so I think my previous theory about him being an android is the one that's holding up. I'll not be watching any films for a while until my attention span grows back.

 

[OzzyFan]

Harvey (1950)
3.25 out of 4stars

“Due to his insistence that he has an invisible six foot-tall rabbit for a best friend, a whimsical middle-aged man is thought by his family to be insane - but he may be wiser than anyone knows.”
A great comedy drama that charms and warms the heart without being tacky. Jimmy Stewart in the lead is perfect, and Josephine Hull is great as well. Based on the award winning play, it fuses laughs and seriousness in an almost satirical way. Definitely feels like a condemnation, at least for its time period, of the mistreatment and negative societal outlook of mentally ill persons. That said, the character that sees Harvey, Elwood P Dowd, is far and away the most fascinating aspect of the film. Inebriated or not, Mr Dowd has this effortlessly soothing ability towards others to go with his personal undisruptable serenity. Caring, complimentary, generous, inviting, and never angered. Innately happy while displaying proactive kindness towards all. “The man that conquered reality”. Simplicity may well be the key to happiness, and tying it to making others around you happy may well be the key to its sustainability. Quite wise. Supposedly Jimmy Stewart’s own personal favorite role.

Blind Beast (1969) (subtitles)
3.10 out of 4stars

“A blind sculptor and his mother kidnap a young model to use as a muse for his latest work.”
A great “art” horror drama about sensuous and sexual pleasure alongside obsession. Highly psychological. Starts off intriguingly with a commentary on publicly available nudity, art photos and sculpture are used here but it’s transferable across mediums, and the potential vulnerabilities for participating subject and viewer. Then further escalates into subjects of tactile art and a bit on specific blind life views, before the story goes above and beyond expectation. It’s surreal, creepy, shocking, and provocative with a great atmosphere. Without ruining anything, it brings up interesting questions for the audience on addiction/sexual addiction, gratification, sadomasochism, fetishes, ignorance/suppression, dehumanization, and sexual power. Oddly both claustrophobic and anti-claustrophobic, as well as feeling like an odd ode to the sense of touch. Has a very memorable film set. Also includes a haunting analysis on the do and know of massage therapists that could make you never look at them the same again.

Scandal Street (1952)
3.00 out of 4stars

“The editor of an exploitation newspaper commits a murder and his protégé incidentally starts investigating the crime.”
A great noir that is a solid thriller about a sleazy editor and tabloid newspaper. Shows interesting mirroring of investigative journalism and police detectives, as well as the advantages of mass media towards gathering evidence and solving cases, which today has evolved to vastly greater heights. Tight script with interesting proceedings and some nice tension throughout is elevated by pretty much every scene Broderick Crawford is in, especially in the latter two thirds of the film. Crawford effortlessly plays the main role with aplomb as a strong loud fast talking ruthless personality, and knows how to sweat when need be. Nice irony, and a lot of irony throughout with the situation, tabloids, and hidden things and people behind grand headlines. Of thought, I’ve always been curious about the whole “power and money corrupt” saying, or maybe it’s possible that corrupt people have an easier time gaining power and money. Either way, that house of cards can always tumble down quickly under those circumstances.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

The Fallen Idol (1948) - 7/10

This is an undeniably good Carole Reed film but sadly it's ruined for me by a child actor and constant overuse of bombastic music in tense scenes. I's about a boy who observes his idol aka the family butler with a side hussy and the consequences of trying to keep it all a secret and it's a fairly good theme but I think that overusing the child and making him an ovelry loud bumbling nuisance takes away from the better parts of the film.

Touchez Pas Au Grisbi (1954) - 7.5/10

From the director of The Hole. Not nearly as good or as tense but it's a pretty solid take on the gangster film as we see an aged Jean Gabin carry a slow script. I know gangster movies often try to portray classiness but this actually pulls it off lol due to Gabin who always seems in control but also tired throughout. There's a decent climax and it doesn't devolve into new wave nonsense like later French gangster films often did.

 

[Chili]

Hell's Angels-1930

Howard Hughes' WWI aviation epic. The story of two brothers and their friend who end up on opposite sides of the war. And the girl, young Jean Harlow, in the role that made her a star. It took a few years to make, it started out as a silent picture but a couple of million $ later, Howard realized it needed to be filmed with sound. Spectacular air battles and footage (~560 hours were shot in all), three pilots lost their lives during shooting. There was one stunt that was deemed too dangerous (a nosedive and pullout at ~200 feet). So Howard attempted it himself and had a serious crash landing with injuries that included a cracked skull.

Interesting to see some early technicolor scenes mixed in, including a ballroom scene (with ~1,700 extras!). The colour was used to highlight the sky in a few scenes, including a duel at dawn and a fiery crash. Howard financed the film himself and was nearly broke before it was released. Apparently it lost a lot of money at the time but it was and still is a pretty impressive film.

Yojimbo (the bodyguard)-1961 (subtitles)

A samurai (Toshiro Mifune) wanders into a town where two rival merchants with their gangs compete for control. The image of a dog running through the streets with someone's hand in his mouth gives a hint of what has been happening in this town. The samurai sees an opportunity to make some cash by gaining the confidence of both sides. Interesting to see the origin of Fistful of Dollars and the contrasts in story telling. Liked the score. Another memorable Kurosawa film.

Look Back In Anger-1959

This was a play, it's something like a British A Streetcar Named Desire. An angry young man, Jimmy Parker (Richard Burton) lives in a flat with his wife (the lovely Mary Ure). She is the main target of his constant wrath until her actress friend comes to stay with them for awhile. Cracking script that is biting and clever. Nice jazz score, fine cast who are all good. Recognized Gary Raymond from the old Rat Patrol tv show. Well done drama.

 

[Devilsfan992]

Flaming Hot - 6.5/10
Sully - 7/10
Super Mario Bros- 7.5/10

 

[Neil Racki]

Air - 7/10 ... better than expected
Extraction 2 - 5/10 ... worse then expected
Aftersun - 6/10 ... worse then expected
Mission Impossible rogue nation - 6/10 .. met expectations, enjoyed the company but have decided to just be friends


Really disappointed in Aftersun as i had been looking forward to it

 

[ItsFineImFine]

Dark Passage (1947) - 7.5/10

Great noir-esque Bogart/Bacall film where Bogart is playing the innocent falsely accused man on the run with the first 40 mins shot mainly through a POV cam. It has a bit of a B-film plot needing suspension of disbelief but they got some strong acting performances to elevate the film. I've always found Bogart to be a bit one-note and overrated but Lauran Bacall is really good and the film doesn't rely too much on suspension but it's there throughout the film. Probably could've been elevated from a good to great film with a slightly tighter script that had a few less eye-roll plot points.

We All Loved Each Other So Much (1974) - 7/10

Watch an Italian film without a tonne of yelling (impossible) challenge. There's one particular character who yells almost each of his lines. Anyways it's a sprawling film going across almost 25 years and starting in black/white before shifting to colour showing three former friends aging and the woman that they all loved at some point. Impressive in terms of the genre range from comedy to romance to drama to satire without falling into the sort of boredom that Italian films often did. Directed by the man who made Il Sorpasso/The Easy Life which is one of the better Italian films I've seen.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

American Made (2017) - 6/10: Tom Cruise plays a drug smuggler. Yeah, its follows the smuggler/crime movie formula but its a fun and entertaining movie that is worth a watch

A Man Called Otto (2022) - 7/10: Curmudgeonly neighbor eventually is befriended by others. It's a bit predictable but has heart and a very good performance by Hanks that draws you in and makes you feel the emotional moments.

 

[kihei]

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) Directed by Christopher McQuarrie 5A

Would it be churlish of me to point out that there is nothing even approximating a "dead reckoning" in the entire movie? Nevermind. There is a slightly different spin on the standard Mission Impossible plot. This time an all-powerful AI is in danger of taking over the world and only Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) can stop it. Sounds promising and current but nothing is ever done with the AI--it's like offstage for the entire movie. Rather the plot devolves to an attempt by several underdeveloped bad guys to find a key, make that a key with two parts, no, make that two keys, both with two parts or only one with two parts. My eyes glazed over--I never figured out what exactly was the correct key configuration or how a couple of keys could stop an all-knowing AI. Director Christopher McQuarrie is a lousy story teller who does not seem to care because, perhaps, he knows the audience won't care. Who needs plot coherence or any semblance of character development when you can have a middle-aged Tom Cruise doing crazy stunts to prove that he will stay forever young and live for eternity? And, of course, like always, we have to watch him run a lot because that's part of his shtick but lord knows why. It is boring as hell but he keeps doing it. So forget the story--even though Part Two is on its way. The good news is that there are some great stunts to be had, some fresh, most recycled, such as yet another interminable car chase (Tom likes to drive fast, too--can't leave that out ever). But, to be fair, the action set pieces are fun to watch in the moment, especially this great train wreck. No, I am not referring to the movie itself but a sequence in it. By now this franchise is a high octane vanity project for you know who, but at least Cruise delivers on some action sequences, enough anyway to make people forger that they are seeing the same movie over and over and over again.

 

[LeafalCrusader]

I thought this was a massive improvement over the incoherent mess that I and II were and set the stage for a terrific sequence of III, IV, and V... before falling (out) down to earth with VI.

I've been re-watching them. Finished the first three. Found the first one still quite good and enjoyed it the most of the three. The second one was a John Woo style mess especially at the end. Third was boosted by Philip Seymour Hoffman's performance. JJ Abrams' lens flare and shakey camera work got on my nerves though.

 

[Osprey]

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) Directed by Christopher McQuarrie 5A

Would it be churlish of me to point out that there is nothing even approximating a "dead reckoning" in the entire movie? Nevermind. There is a slightly different spin on the standard Mission Impossible plot. This time an all-powerful AI is in danger of taking over the world and only Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) can stop it. Sounds promising and current but nothing is ever done with the AI--it's like offstage for the entire movie. Rather the plot devolves to an attempt by several underdeveloped bad guys to find a key, make that a key with two parts, no make that two keys, both with two parts or only one with two parts. My eyes glazed over--I never figured out what exactly was the correct key configuration or how a couple of keys could stop an all-knowing AI. Director Christopher McQuarrie is a lousy story teller who does not seem to care because, perhaps, he knows the audience won't care. Who needs plot coherence or any semblance of character development when you can have a middle-aged Tom Cruise doing crazy stunts to prove that he will stay forever young and live for eternity? And, of course, like always, we have to watch him run a lot because that's part of his shtick but lord knows why. It is boring as hell but he keeps doing it. So forget the story--even though Part Two is on its way. The good news is that there are some great stunts to be had, some fresh, most recycled, such as yet another interminable car chase (Tom likes to drive fast, too--can't leave that out ever). But, to be fair, the action set pieces are fun to watch in the moment, especially this great train wreck. No, I am not referring to the movie itself but a sequence in it. By now this franchise is a high octane vanity project for you know who, but at least Cruise delivers on some action sequences, enough anyway to make people forger that they are seeing the same movie over and over and over again.

If I'm understanding you...
1. It's stunts over substance
2. Tom runs a lot
3. It's the same as all of the other M:I movies

 

[kihei]

If I'm understanding you...
1. It's stunts over substance
2. Tom runs a lot
3. It's the same as all of the other M:I movies

You forgot."Tom drives fast cars and motorcycles."

 

[ItsFineImFine]

Panic In The Streets (1950) - 8/10

I might be overrating a bit but I love this style of thriller where some situation is developing in a city like a shooter on the loose or a kidnapped boy or a serial killer or in this case, a plague outbreak, and a bunch of people have to come together to try to fix it. In this case, a health official with the help of the police try to identify some criminals who have come in contact with someone who had plague and try to contain it. Of course knowing what we know about the spread now, it's all pointless and full of plot holes but it's pretty well done and surprisingly, this is an Elias Kazan film. His stuff is usually more stagey and melodramatic and this veers into that territory but it's more of a traditional noir in the rest of its execution. Honestly I found it more enjoyable than his other stuff.

The Pawnbroker (1964) - 7/10

Stylish Sidney Lumet film but I thought the pacing and editing is really messy. It's by design at times but it makes for a rough watch for a film that's already not an easy watch because the whole thing is basically focused on the PTSD of one man who survived a concentration camp and is now running a pawn shop in some ghetto NY neighbourhood. Good performance by the lead but it's one of those films which people who really like character-driven films would prefer since the story is a bit thin for the runtime. The side plot with the young latino kid is also poor both in how it's acted and how it doesn't fit with the tone of the rest of the film.

 

[hangman005]

The Happening.

Funniest movie ever, wait it's not a comedy. Honestly the premise and idea for the movie was intriguing, but the execution is hilarious. The trees getting their revenge. Also doesn't help you care for none of characters. I almost feel they need some kind of spores, because running away from the wind, is dumb, unless that wind is a Tornado.

 

[Bahama Mama]

My goodness we saw a funny movie and originally thought it was a children's movie,far from it,strictly for adults.All of us laughed the whole time but I'm sure there are up tight dweebs that would probably feel it's inappropriate and vulgar. It's a comedy for adults,it did its just magnificently

 

[OzzyFan]

Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
3.20 out of 4stars

“An office full of 4 New York City real estate salesmen is given the news that all but the top two will be fired at the end of the week.”
A great drama that is a hectic and heated snapshot into the world of high-pressure sales industries. Based on the play and filled with an A list cast that buys in and delivers. Fast talking and dialogue driven, its highly entertaining grimey material. It’s vulgar, shady, quotable, and filled with ugly truths. Coarse but far from stupid. There is a reason salespeople are at the top of the lists for least trusted professions. As seen here, that job field is filled with people(not exclusively though) that lie and deceive in various fashions and for various reasons. I’ve seen this first hand (luckily not at me) from my younger days working in car dealerships, and I can say this film is realistic with a few acute circumstances. Especially in corporate owned sales businesses, those jobs are high stress and high turnover with managers that oftentimes bark, yell, threaten, and talk derogatorily to workers. Not to mention, your coworker salesmen are all your competitors in this dog eat dog world. Those who can make the most profit, upsell over cost the most and sell to the most customers, make the most money. It’s a world full of greedy and corrupt people because those types thrive the most in that business. The film overall is quite a scary statement on how parts of humanity survive and accumulate wealth through such everyday actions like this. I’ve read this film described as witty, but I would not call it humorous at all but enjoyable in a sense, that sense being if you find entertainment through fiery insult exchanges.

Dial M for Murder (1954)
3.15 out of 4stars

“A former tennis star arranges the murder of his adulterous wife.”
A great crime thriller with lots of suspense from the master, Alfred Hitchcock. Based on the play, the script is top notch, starting with a cliche storyline and adding smart twists and turns with tightly wound elements. Which is then heightened by Hitchcock’s camera angles, editing, and pacing among other choices all taking place almost entirely in an apartment room. The acting ensemble is great with Grace Kelly being the standout. Her expressions and body language are spot on, and helped by some seemingly purposeful attire choices. Go in knowing as little as possible if you plan to see it.

Mission: Impossible -Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
All of the Stars

“Ethan Hunt and his IMF team must track down a dangerous weapon before it falls into the wrong hands.”
Tiny Tom Cruise the android does it again. Tommy proves once again that he can outrun any human in his little elevator shoes. This time he takes on someone his own size, sentient artificial intelligence as they hunt for a 2 piece cruciform key. Now finding the key isn’t the biggest issue for teeny Tom, it’s reaching for the lock it goes in without hyper-extending or separating his infantile shoulder. And production pulled out all the stops for little Tom. He gets to use super fast mini-bikes, child-sized Fiats, miniature horses, pocket pistols, toy soldier parachutes, and some well crafted settings of sand boxes, a redesigned Barbie airport, Fisher Price nightclub, and Lionel train sets with fully loaded accessories. Definitely a must see film. The Lord of the Rings Hobbit style camera angles are perfectly meshed, making the King Kong size discrepancies indiscernible.

 

[mrgnwilliam]

Oppenheimer
Nolan
2023

Wow! What a film . I rarely go into a cinema and have my expectations surpassed . This film was absolutely phenomenal from start to finish. I don’t like Downey but he put forth a great performance. This is a must watch .

10/10

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Thanks I'll give this a go. I wasn't believing TheCryptoGuy's 8/10 review of White House Down and was looking for a good action type film.

That was rude

 

[shadow1]

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) - 8/10

The IMF must hunt down two halves of a key that can control a sentient AI.

Tom Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt, who is given the mission of retrieving a key that can control an AI known as "The Entity". This AI program can access every database and system on earth, creating panic amongst nations. However, when Hunt's mission goes awry, he and the rest of the IMF team go rogue, leading to US Intelligence Agents hunting them down. Teaming up with a pick-pocket named Grace (Hayley Atwell), Hunt must outrace his foes - including Gabriel (Esai Morales), who is working with The Entity - to retrieve the key, as the fate of the world hangs in the balance...

Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation (2015) and Fallout (2018) director Christopher McQuarrie returns for this 7th installment. Written by McQaurrie and Erik Jendrensen, Dead Reckoning Part One was filmed back-to-back with Dead Reckoning Part Two (2024), with the two films intended to bookend the Mission: Impossible franchise. A tough shoot that was filmed during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, how does the first part of the Mission: Impossible series conclusion fare?

Very well, but not without some of the same issues found in other entires. Dead Reckoning Part One is an adrenaline rush from start to finish, with a number of crazy stunts that I won't spoil here (though that does make it somewhat more difficult to talk about the film's strengths). The film has a good deal of comedy - perhaps slightly more than other recent entries - which I also thought worked well. The mixture of action and humor go together like peanut butter and jelly, making this a quintessential summer blockbuster.

I also want to commend the film for being as strong as it is for a "Covid-19" film. What I mean by that is I have found many of the movies that were filmed during the pandemic to have a certain look to them, where something just doesn't look quite right. I think it might have something to do with set choices and the lack of extras to make the worlds feel flushed out, and I have found even big budget movies to suffer from this fate. However, that was not the case with Dead Reckoning Part One, which looks fully realized visually.

What wasn't fully realized was the plot, which is a bit messy. The concept of a sentient AI is interesting and topical, and the film does have some creative moments that utilize this concept well. However, The Entity seems to take a backseat for a lot of the film, with Tom Cruise and co. fighting the guy from NYPD Blue for most of the movie.

Speaking of fighting, the actual hand-to-hand combat was a bit of a let down compared to 2018's Fallout... but maybe I've watched the John Wick series one-too-many times. I also thought too many characters were crammed in to the film's events, with some returning faces slipping into their past roles to be nothing more than window dressing (I thought Ving Rhames was a standout though, after being underutilized in recent entires).

Overall, Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One is another rock solid entry in the franchise. Though it doesn't bring anything new to the table, I found the film to be consistently enjoyable from start to finish. If you're a fan of the series, or looking for a 3-hour popcorn fueled roller coaster ride, I strongly recommend checking this film out.

Barbie (2023) - 7/10

A child's doll living in utopia has an existential crisis.

Margot Robbie stars as "stereotypical" Barbie, who lives with other Barbies in the utopia called Barbieland. Spending her time throwing parties, visiting the beach, and flirting with "stereotypical" Ken (Ryan Gosling), Barbie has the perfect life. However, her world is turned sideways after a health scare, and with the help of "weird" Barbie (Kate McKinnon) must travel to the real world to get to the bottom of her issues.

Barbie was directed by Greta Gerwig, and written by Gerwig and Noah Baumbach. Based on the famous Mattel child's toy, development for Barbie began as early as 2009, but was delayed for many years due to being unable to settle on a script or even a film studio. Eventually settling both matters, how did the filmmakers do bringing the iconic character to life?

Pretty well. Barbie had potential to be a disaster, but the film tells a relatively safe story of the titular character realizing life isn't always sparkles and rainbows. However, it still take some chances with the way it goes about telling its story, putting Robbie's Barbie in some situations I didn't see coming (mostly because I didn't watch the trailer). Visually the film is great, and most of the comedy works well (there were a couple moments that fell flat in my theater, though).

The film is also very theme heavy, with commentary on both the matriarchy and patriarchy, existentialism, individualism, and gender roles. I found the film to be shockingly deep for a film based around a plastic doll, and is arguably geared towards an adult audience due to some of its raunchy humor. Both Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling are a hoot in the lead roles, and the film has an all-star cast that also features Michael Cera, Will Ferrell, Simon Liu, Rhea Perlman, and Issa Rae.

As far as negatives go, I don't have anything too major. The one initial takeaway was I thought the run time maybe could've been shaved down a bit, as I found my mind briefly wandering towards the end. Additionally, the film introduces additional main characters midway through the film, who I thought were a bit underdeveloped relative to the size of their roles.

Overall, Barbie is a solid comedy film. It's well written and has some depth beneath Barbie's plastic exterior, and enough of the comedy works to keep the film entertaining. I am not sure who the target audience of this film is, but as an adult male I enjoyed it. I do recognize the film may not be for everyone though, so check out the trailer first before deciding.

 

[Ceremony]

Collateral (2004) - Tom Cruise is a bad guy, but the kind of bad guy you like. Jamie Foxx has a real bad day. Michael Mann does LA with a much worse soundtrack. Gripping.

War of the Worlds (2005) - Tom Cruise fights an unbearable amount of bloom, the world's most irritating child and the solar system's most useless embedded advance force. Andy Dufresne digs another tunnel. Any sense of social uncertainty from the source material doesn't translate.

Born on the Fourth of July (1989) - Tom Cruise gets in a bad place then turns his life around having sex with a woman because he is a man. Also some stuff about war being bad.

Gravity (2013) - Sandra Bullock has a real bad day, hallucinates a bit then embodies an evolution of a new existence. The Russians do a thing. Character study feels like something that works better with proper context, throwing in an offhand reference in a conversation with someone who would already know your life doesn't work. Still very good. Can only imagine what it would have been like on a big screen.