Rankings and Lists - Page 13 of 16 - Reel Opinion by Eric Zimmerman

“THX 1138” – Classic Film Reviews #10

THX 1138 (1971) Original One Sheet Movie Poster - Original Film Art - Vintage Movie Posters

“THX 1138” was released in 1971 and was co-written & directed by George Lucas. It stars Robert Duvall as THX, Donald Pleasence as SEN, and Maggie McOmie as LUH. The film takes place in a dystopian future in which humans are assigned letters & numbers for names and live in an underground city monitored by robots where they’re forced to take medicine to keep them in line. The main character, THX 1138, decides to escape the city and go to the outside world after falling in love with his roommate, LUN, despite intimacy being forbidden. The film is based on Lucas’ breakthrough student film, “Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB.”

George Lucas' First Feature Film, THX 1138 (1971) | Andrew Jones - Digital America

“THX 1138” excels on a visual level due to George Lucas’ brilliant direction and style, as well as the terrific production design by Ted Moehnke, who later worked on other films with Lucas such as “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “The Empire Strikes Back.” Every shot was meticulously crafted and stunning. The imagery was often beautiful, disturbing, and eerie all at the same time. Lucas makes viewers feel like they’re in the underground complex with THX, like they’re experiencing an Orwellian world. All of the original special effects (I’ll get to the new CGI-effects Lucas added) were truly stunning despite the shoestring budget of less than $800,000. At only 27 years old, Lucas proved himself to be a masterful visual filmmaker.

THX 1138' at 50: Stream the Movie That Paved the Way for 'Star Wars' on HBO Max — **ROBERT DUVALL AS THX**

The performances in the film were fantastic as well. Robert Duvall, who made “The Godfather” the very next year, blended into the world extremely well. Due to his stoic yet thoughtful demeanor, he made the world and THX’s lifestyle more believable than it would have been with a lesser actor. Many other actors would probably overact and be excessively emotional, but Duvall knew that the most important objective of the film was to get viewers absorbed into the world, and he executed that almost flawlessly. Donald Pleasence as SEN, THX’s (sort of) friend, was also great in the film. He provided just the right amount of comic relief to the film while still giving a tragic performance, especially during the scene in which SEN spoke to children at the end of the film.

My only significant gripe with the film is the addition of digital special effects shots by George Lucas. They were added in 2004 for his director’s cut, and like the special editions for the Star Wars movies, the director’ cut made the original cut of the film no longer available. I assume he added the new CGI shots to give the world more depth, since most of the shots involve futuristic train stations and factory work, but they simply look terrible. The CGI was overly polished and fake-looking, and it was so noticeable in the film that it ruined the immersion every time it was used. I understand and respect that Lucas wanted to update his movies with modern technology to create his true vision, but the CGI is unnecessary and atrocious nonetheless.

George Lucas's THX 1138: Detailed Comparison of Theatrical and Director's Cuts - Part 1 — **ADDED CGI SHOT**

Regarding George Lucas: Although I hated the addition of CGI into the film, it’s important to note that I think George Lucas is actually one of the best filmmakers of all time. He received a lot of hate for the Star Wars prequels, and while I think Episode I could have been better and Episode II was an abomination, the amount of hate was far too high. Lucas has said time and time again that he’s an experimental filmmaker. With all six of his Star Wars movies he pushed the boundaries of special effects, with “American Graffiti” he crafted an unconventional narrative that almost entirely took place in cars and restaurants, and with “THX 1138,” he made an artistic, beautiful film with a unique visual style. He brought thousands of jobs into Hollywood and brought joy to hundreds of millions of people with his films, and he should be respected rather than ridiculed. While on Twitter, I saw a tweet saying this on George Lucas’ birthday:

Star Wars Holocron on Twitter: "George Lucas filming the iconic opening scene of Star Wars (1977)… " — **GEORGE LUCAS DIRECTING “STAR WARS” (1977)**

This is a perfect example of someone in the toxic community that has continued to attack Lucas and others for more than two decades because they didn’t like a few movies. That is an ignorant, disrespectful, and toxic statement, especially considering it was Lucas’ birthday. The narrative that George Lucas is an incompetent filmmaker who stood on the shoulders of others to make the original Star Wars trilogy is simply untrue. Countless documentaries, books, and articles describe the struggle Lucas went through to get the 1977 Star Wars film made, as well as why he was integral to the greatness of the original trilogy.

Part of the reason I wrote this review was to explain why George Lucas has always been a talented filmmaker. When he made “THX 1138,” he was able to produce a gorgeous and thought-provoking film with barely any money. I really enjoyed “THX 1138,” and I recommend it to any film lover who hasn’t seen it yet.

Would Star Wars (and cinema) be the same today if THX-1138 had been a hit 50 years ago? – The Pop Culture Studio

Grade: A-

Ranking of the Star Wars Franchise: https://reelopinion.com/2020/10/28/all-11-star-wars-movies-ranked/

Quick Catch-ups: “Godzilla vs. Kong,” “Nobody” & “Thunder Force”

Quick Review #1: “Godzilla vs. Kong”

“Godzilla vs. Kong” was fine. I liked seeing the CGI Godzilla fight the CGI Kong… the movie gave us exactly what it promised. It’s a popcorn blockbuster that gives you your money’s worth and entertains you throughout almost its entire runtime.I could write a full review explaining why the action was exciting and how the human characters lacked any traits, but it’s not necessary. Basically, “Godzilla vs. Kong” is good enough.

Grade: B

Quick Review #2: “Nobody”

This is an action film starring Bob Odenkirk of “Breaking Bad” fame (which is the best show of all time by the way), and it was written by Derek Kolstad, who wrote the fantastic “John Wick” movies. So naturally, I went into this movie with high expectations thinking I was going to have an enthralling theater experience. In fact, I actually drove 2 hours away to a drive-in movie theater to see this film. But did it live up to my expectations? Absolutely not.

The fact that this was even released as a 90-minute feature length movie amazes me, because the movie is essentially 50 minutes of a real movie and 40 minutes of a music video compilation. I’m serious — there are a ton of sequences in which loud, out-of-place music is blasting in the background. Besides the inappropriate runtime, the film has several other issues. For one thing, the action was underwhelming for the most part, which is a major problem since a STUNT coordinator directed this film. There was one fantastic action scene on a bus, but besides that, every action sequence was either boring or uninspired.

The movie’s biggest problem is how much of a cliche it is. It’s another by-the-numbers story about a retired action movie protagonist who comes back to defend his family and stop the criminals who wronged his family. That pretty much describes most 80’s action movies. Congratulations for your originality “Nobody”!

However, there are good things about the movie. Bob Odenkirk was likeable in the role and he sold all the action scenes that he was in, even if they were lackluster. As I mentioned before, that one action scene on the bus was an absolute masterpiece. I also loved Christopher Lloyd as the main character’s father. He was hilarious. That’s all. Don’t see this movie.

Grade: D+

Quick Review #3: “Thunder Force”

“Thunder Force” is a so-called “comedy” about two childhood friends getting superpowers and fighting supervillains called the Miscreants. This film left me with a lot of questions, like: Why was this made? Who wants to see a movie about Melissa McCarthy, the star of abominations like “Ghostbusters” (2016), “Life of the Party,” “Tammy” and “The Kitchen,” becoming a superhero? Why did Melissa McCarthy have to yell during every scene of the film? Why was most of the dialogue adlibbed and not scripted? Why was the CGI so bad? Why was the story so passionless and boring? How come the direction was so bland?

The answer to all these questions is that Melissa McCarthy wanted to make a quick buck using as little effort as possible.

Almost every joke or line of dialogue failed completely in this movie. “Thunder Force” is just another lazy cash grab made by a comedian who used to funny decades ago (e.g. Adam Sandler and David Spade) but isn’t now. There is one thing to like about this movie though, and that’s Jason Bateman as “The Crab,” a man with crab claws for hands. Just like Leslie Nielsen in “Airplane!” and the “Naked Gun” movies, Bateman delivered all of his lines completely straight, which made the character a lot funnier than he was originally written in the script.

Still, Jason Bateman couldn’t save this miserable film. While this wasn’t the worst movie I’ve seen in 2021 (that goes to “The Little Things”), it’s definitely in my Top 3 so far.

Grade: D

Previous “Quick Catch-ups” Post: https://reelopinion.com/2021/02/26/quick-catch-ups-barb-and-star-nomadland-the-little-things/

DC Extended Universe (DCEU) Movies RANKED

Can the "Snyder Cut" of 'Justice League' fix the whole DCEU? – Film Daily

If you’re unfamiliar with the DCEU, it’s a movie franchise in which a bunch of different DC superheroes have their own stories in an interconnected cinematic universe. It’s similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). For example, characters from their own solo films will meet up for a more significant film like Justice League. It’s also important to note that I’m a big fan of DC comics, but I’m also a huge skeptic of DC movies, because most of them range from mediocre to atrocious.

With that stated, here’s the ranking:

10. Justice League (2017): This is one of the “atrocious” DC movies that I mentioned previously. This film is such a jumbled mess. Joss Whedon of “The Avengers” fame reshot and reedited a significant amount of scenes in this film for the worse. Batman was made into a comic relief character, Cyborg was sidelined, the Flash was made really annoying, and Superman had a CGI lip to hide the fact that Henry Cavill (who played the iconic hero) had a mustache during reshoots. The villain Steppenwolf is one of the most generic villains in cinema history, the movie is rushed, the pacing is way too fast, and every single joke, without exception, is cringe-inducing. This is an awful, awful movie that’s in the Top 10 Worst Superhero Films of All Time for me. I’m ashamed to say that I saw this in the theater.

9. Suicide Squad: Yeah, this one’s an abomination too. Like “Justice League” (2017), this DC film is a jumbled mess of a movie that was clearly manipulated and altered in editing. The villain was laughable, the overuse of pop songs was beyond irritating, the CGI was terrible, and all the characters except for Deadshot and Harley Quinn were either cartoon characters or cardboard cutouts. The worst part of this film, of course, was Jared Leto’s “Joker.” For some reason, Leto and director David Ayer thought it would be a good idea to give Joker a grill on his teeth, a laugh that sounds like an asthma attack, and a thousand tattoos all over his body (including the now infamous “damaged” tattoo on his forehead). “Suicide Squad” is a disgusting film on a visual, technical, and thematic level.

8. Wonder Woman 1984: This is probably the most disappointing DC movie on this list considering how good its predecessor is. The problem with “Wonder Woman 1984” is its TERRIBLE script. Not a single plot point makes sense and the ultimate villain of the movie is a wishing rock that looks like something you can buy at Party City for $5.99. The movie was also way too long; 40 minutes could have been cut out of the film and it wouldn’t make a difference in the garbage story. The CGI is so bad that it makes the fake lip in “Justice League” (2017) look good. There are about 4 fights scenes in the 2h 35min long movie, each of which range from 30 seconds to 3 minutes. This is one of the worst sequels of all time in terms of the drop in quality, and everyone involved in the movie (except for Gal Gadot, who was still perfect as Wonder Woman) should be utterly ashamed.

7.Shazam!: I know people love this movie, but I don’t. In fact, I would go as far to say that it’s almost bad. Similar to “Big,” the premise is that a kid named Billy Batson gets superpowers and can turn into an adult but keeps his child brain. However, the child actor (who was obnoxious by the way) played kid Billy as brooding while Zachary Levi, who played adult Billy, portrayed him as immature and goofy. These clashing traits caused the character to be extremely uneven. Additionally, there was an awful subplot where Billy tried to find his mother because she left him in an amusement park when he was little and… who cares? The fights were boring, the comedy was hit-or-miss, and the ending, without giving away any spoilers, made Billy insignificant in his on movie. Still, Zachary Levi was very likeable in the role and the movie wasn’t insufferable like previous movies on this list.

6. Birds of Prey: I’ll start with the positives: the action is enthralling. They got the “John Wick” stunt team to choreograph the fights in this film, and they turned out great. I also really liked the Huntress character and the use of colors. Besides those aspects, this movie was pretty bad. The film was a mess, as the timeline of the story is jumbled and none of the characters (with the exception of Harley Quinn) had much depth. The movie’s biggest problem, however, was its blatant political agenda. I HATE when politics (no matter if they’re left or right leaning) are shoved down our throats in movies. I want to escape the real world when I watch movies, not think about it constantly. In this film’s case, it portrayed every single man as either stupid or evil and every single woman as a victim of men. The movie went out of its way to show how men are backstabbing pigs in order to empower the female characters when that was completely unnecessary and offensive.

5. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice: I know people love to blindly hate on this movie, but I just can’t. This is the BEST live-action portrayal of Batman (although not perfect). Ben Affleck gave the best live-action performance as Bruce Wayne/Batman so far in my opinion.I like that Affleck’s Batman was based on Frank Miller’s Batman from the comics, who loves his job and is never really himself until he puts on the costume. Also, I appreciated that Batman actually wanted to fight crime & save lives in this film, unlike the Nolan films where he wanted to quit so he could date someone else’s fiancée. That said, the rest of the movie wasn’t nearly as good as the Batman elements. Superman was too dark and unheroic, Lex Luthor was a joke of a villain, and the plot was convoluted and senseless. If the Batman plot points were extended into a full movie and all the other elements were taken out of the film, it would be great, but unfortunately this movie was a disjointed mess.

4. Aquaman: This film thankfully knows it’s about a joke of a character, so it embraces the silliness; no one wants to see a gritty, serious movie about a merman. However, the film gets way too dumb at times. That’s all I have to say… it’s an Aquaman movie. It’s “meh.”

3.Man of Steel: This is two thirds of an interesting superhero drama and one third of a visual nightmare. The first two acts were a new, more realistic take on the Superman character that worked pretty well for me. I also really loved the villain: General Zod, played by Michael Shannon. He was very menacing and he had interesting motives which the viewers could understand; Zod wasn’t just some generic bad guy. He was causing all this destruction to preserve his race, most of whom tragically died on Krypton. That’s interesting to me. The problem with “Man of Steel” is that the movie loses its mind during the third act when 45 minutes’ worth of loud, obnoxious, CGI-heavy, gross, seizure-inducing, and migraine-inducing “action” occurs. In this movie about a character known for saving cats out of trees, he throws another superpowered being through buildings, causing them to FALL ON TOP OF PEOPLE & CRUSH THEM, DESTROYING A CITY IN THE PROCESS. It’s one of the worst endings to a blockbuster that I’ve ever seen.

2. Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021): It took 8 films to get here, but this is the first good movie on this list. Anyway, this was the original cut of “Justice League” directed by Zack Snyder before Joss Whedon was hired for reshoots and destroyed it. In this version, all of the characters (except maybe for Aquaman, but who cares) were well fleshed-out and all had their heroic moments on screen. There were a few plot elements that didn’t make much sense and some of the music choices were out of place, but this was a very good DC film. Read my in-depth review for the movie here.

1. Wonder Woman: This is a fantastic comic book film and one of the best superhero origin movies ever made. “Wonder Woman” had to overcome so much hatred for DC movies at the time before its release due to the bad reception to previous DCEU movies, but it surprised everyone, including myself. The action was awesome, the music was catchy, and Gal Gadot gave a true star-making performance as the title character. The film does get a little slow at parts and it gets CGI heavy during the end battle (although not nearly as bad as the ending of “Man of Steel”), but it’s overall a wonderful action/fantasy film. Cheesy pun intended.

“Zack Snyder’s Justice League” – A Long Review for a Long Movie

Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021) - IMDb

“Zack Snyder’s Justice League” was directed by Zack Snyder and stars Ben Affleck as Batman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Ezra Miller as The Flash, Ray Fisher as Cyborg, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, and Henry Cavill as Superman. In this movie, Batman and Wonder Woman assemble the Justice League after the death of Superman (although he is revived later into the film) to defend the Earth against an alien conqueror named Steppenwolf. It’s a basic superhero movie plot, but it works because the characters are so well developed.

Context:

This film is very unique in that a Justice League movie was already released in 2017, but the difference is that it was made by Joss Whedon during extensive reshoots. This 2021 film is actually the original cut of the movie, but Warner Brothers (the studio behind the film) got “cold feet” during the making of the movie and used the tragic death of Zack Snyder’s daughter in his personal life to fire him and bring in Joss Whedon of “Avengers” fame. Whedon made an almost entirely different movie that is one of the worst blockbusters in recent memory. The story was rushed, the characters lacked ANY development, and there were a ton of awkward jokes at the expense of characters like Batman & The Flash. There was also bad CGI, extreme color saturation, a laughably bland & cartoonish villain, and CGI lips for Superman (I’m not kidding — they had to remove Cavill’s mustache after reshoots). The theatrical cut in 2017 is so bad that the internet calls it “Josstice League.”

I was really excited to see Snyder’s take on the Justice League, not only because I knew it would be better than the abomination against humanity that is “Justice League” 2017, but also because I was happy to see him show his true vision and honor his daughter who sadly passed away.

Review:

It’s important to note that this movie is FOUR HOURS long. While that may seem daunting, don’t worry: the movie is divided into parts so that it is easier to take breaks from watching it, and it also has terrific pacing. “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” feels like it’s 2 and a 1/2 hours. It’s actually quite impressive how Snyder and company were able to pull that off.

As I stated earlier, the character development in this film was fantastic. In the 2017 version, all the characters were either not themselves or lacked any basic character moments/dialogue. The dialogue that was in the original version was beyond cringy, specifically The Flash’s brunch monologue and the Batman and Superman stupid exchanges. Almost all the characters in this version were fantastic. Batman had an actual arc continuing from “Batman v Superman” in which he went from wanting to kill Superman to feeling guilty for what happened to Superman and gaining faith in humanity once again. The Flash is a lot less annoying and he has actual things to do. Wonder Woman stood out in this film as the noble warrior that she was in her solo film instead of the joke she was in “Wonder Woman 1984.” I also thought Superman was significantly better than he was in “Man of Steel” and “Batman v Superman” since he was rejuvenated with hope after his resurrection. And Aquaman is… Aquaman. He was fine I guess. No one cares about him, so it doesn’t matter. He looked cool and Jason Momoa is likeable, which is enough for me.

But I must say, Cyborg is the heart and soul of this film. He is FANTASTIC here, and his story is tragic and super compelling. In the film Victor Stone gets into a car accident that results in him nearly dying, so his father uses alien technology to heal him. However, this turns Victor into Cyborg, and he becomes resentful of his father for it. However, throughout the movie, he learns to accept himself and love his father as he works with the other heroes. Ray Fisher’s performance as Cyborg was heartbreaking and it’s sad that we had to wait so long to see his emotional, career-making performance. I loved the character, which was shocking since he was incredibly undeveloped in the 2017 cut.

Another HUGE upgrade from the 2017 cut is the villain: Steppenwolf. While he isn’t great or anything, he’s an interesting character in this version. Steppenwolf is basically a humiliated henchman who is trying to impress his boss, Darkseid. I also loved the action sequences, specifically one with The Flash at the climax of the film. Speaking of the climax, this climax must be in the Top 15 Superhero Climaxes of All Time. Every hero actually has something to do during the final battle and each of their roles are related to their powers/abilities.

Despite all this praise, “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” still isn’t a perfect film. For one thing, about 80% of the soundtrack in this film is cringe-inducing or out of place. This is a common trait in most of Zack Snyder’s films. Sometimes there will be an exciting action sequence or important character moment that gets interrupted by some tacked on blues music from the 1970’s or 1980’s. Besides just the poor song choices, it’s important to note that Wonder Woman is given a theme that is LAUGHABLE. It basically sounds like a teenage girl trying to hum a terrible opera while experiencing a voice crack. This may seem like a small nitpick, but this sound pops up during EVERY action scene Wonder Woman is in, which were some of the film’s most thrilling sequences. Here’s a compilation:

Up until the second-to-last scene, I would have given this film an “A” for its grade. But then I saw that second-to-last scene between Ben Affleck’s Batman and Jared Leto’s nauseating Joker. I’ve made this clear in past articles that I’ve written: I’m a HUGE Batman fan. That’s why I love Affleck in the role; he clearly respects and loves the character. Batman means a lot to me, and he’s one of those characters that helps people, including myself, go through trying times. HOWEVER, Affleck is completely overshadowed by Jared Leto’s ABYSMAL Joker. Leto was atrocious in “Suicide Squad” and he’s atrocious here. He’s a bad Joker for a thousand reasons, but my three main takeaways from the scene are these:

Leto can’t decide on what voice to use. He keeps going from high to low, and it makes for an incoherent mess of a character.
Leto’s laugh is UNBEARABLE. It sounds like he has asthma.
The dialogue Leto is given is terrible. Leto’s Joker made sexual jokes and goes on lazy, stereotypical Joker monologues that don’t work since he doesn’t know how to play the character.

“Zack Snyder’s Justice League” is a vast improvement over the 2017 theatrical cut, and I’m grateful that Zack was given the opportunity by HBO Max to complete his original film and let the public experience it. It’s important that directors get to share their visions, especially when they’re as good as Snyder’s was. I loved almost every scene and I can’t wait to watch this four hour film fly by for a second time.

Grade: A-

My Review for “Wonder Woman 1984”: https://reelopinion.com/2020/12/25/wonder-woman-1984-an-honest-review/

“Tom & Jerry” – Horribly Good

“Tom & Jerry” was directed by Tim Story, the filmmaker responsible for such classics as “Fantastic Four,” “Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer,” and “Ride Along 2.” It stars Chloë Grace Moretz, Michael Peña, and other people who are happy they received a paycheck for being in “Tom & Jerry.” I saw this film about a week ago, and after seeing it, I realize that this can’t just be reviewed as a normal movie. This is definitely a “so bad, it’s good” movie, and I’m so happy to say that. This is one of those movies, like “The Smurfs,” in which 3-D animated characters are put into a live-action environment with live-action people. Why didn’t they just make an animated Tom and Jerry movie you ask? Well, it’s because the people involved in this film wanted to buy some beach houses.

Something that needs to be mentioned is the fact that Tom and Jerry are barely in this movie titled “Tom & Jerry.” They have about 3 minutes of cartoon violence between themselves, but besides that, they’re complete side characters. I’m going to do my best to explain the actual (complicated) plot:

A woman named Kayla (Moretz) gets fired from her job, so she pretends to be another person in order to work at a prestigious hotel. Yes, that’s right. The protagonist of a kid’s movie commits identity theft!
At the hotel, the manager thinks Kayla is great, but his underling (Michael Peña) is suspicious of her because she jokingly talked to a goldfish (I’m dead serious — this is what happens).
Kayla also befriends a bartender at the hotel, and they become love interests or something.
While all this is going on, a famous Instagram couple arrives to have their wedding at the hotel.
This is a big deal, so the entire hotel staff has to make sure nothing interferes with the wedding preparations.
The chef at the hotel, played by Ken Jeong, is stressed about making the cake for the wedding, so he is yelling at his employees in the kitchen.
The couple is also having a rough time because the boyfriend wants a big wedding while the girlfriend wants a small wedding.
To make matters worse, the girlfriend loses her engagement ring, so she and Kayla have to find it.
And Tom & Jerry are there also.

Anyway, “Tom & Jerry” is such hot garbage for hundreds of reasons. For instance, throughout the film, some animated pigeons narrate what is happening through rap, which seems extremely inappropriate for a movie based on a classic cartoon that started in 1940. During the FIRST scene in the film, one of these birds defecates on the face of another bird, and it was brushed off as if it was some genius joke. It is funny, but only because it shows how abysmal the movie is, not because it is a quality joke.

DOWNLOAD | Film “Tom & Jerry“ 2021 Movie FULL (HD-1080p) | by S A R K O B U L L S | Tom & Jerry : Film (2021) | Feb, 2021 | Medium

“Tom & Jerry” feels like a movie made by people who never saw the cartoon, and the only thing they knew about the characters is that they try to attack each other. The film’s plot is ridiculously convoluted and boring, the human characters couldn’t be more bland and unoriginal, and worst of all, the animation is hilariously awful. There’s one scene in which a character picks up an animated dog (because literally every single animal is animated in this film), and it looks so incredibly ridiculous that I couldn’t help but laugh. It made the CGI in “Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over” look good.

I recommend this movie to anyone who is looking for a film to make fun of with friends or even wants to hate-watch something. However, if you’re a parent looking for a fun family film to show your child, this is not the movie for them.

Quick Catch-ups: “Barb and Star,” “Nomadland” & “The Little Things”

Quick Review #1: “Barb & Star Go to Vista del Mar” – Oh boy. This was a rough one. “Barb and Star” is an unfunny comedy that rips off the “Bill & Ted” movies and the “Austin Powers” movies, and I was miserable the entire time I watched the movie. I did think the film was competently directed and I appreciated how colorful it looked, but this was a terrible comedy.

Grade: D-

Quick Review #2: “Nomadland” – This film was directed Chloé Zhao and stars Frances McDormand as Fern, a woman who becomes a nomad after losing her job and husband. The best aspects of “Nomadland” are the direction and cinematography. Every single frame looks like a painting, and that’s no small feat. Frances McDormand, as always, gave a really good performance in the film. She didn’t overact like other actors might; she seemed like a legitimate nomad in the best way possible.

Also, I appreciate how the film presents the nomadic lifestyle. I would expect a Hollywood movie to either glorify being a nomad or insult it, but “Nomadland” didn’t do either. It showed that nomads are kind, friendly people who love exploring the world and meeting new people, but it also showed how unsanitary and difficult the lifestyle is. My problem with the movie is that its pacing is a little too slow in the third act and the ending is very anticlimactic. Besides that, I thoroughly enjoyed “Nomadland.”

Grade: A-

Quick Review #3: “The Little Things” – I said I wouldn’t review this film on twitter, but I changed my mind. I like to rant sometimes. Here we go: This movie is garbage. It is a “Se7en” ripoff that lacks any originality or interesting themes. This is an insanely boring film that makes NyQuil look ineffective. The fact that Warner Brothers approved this amazes me. This film tricks you into thinking it must be good because it has brilliant actors in it: Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, and Jared Leto. But each of them is wasted in this movie, and no matter how hard they try (which none of them bothered to do), this movie is still ruthlessly boring. The script feels like it was written by an alien learning about human interaction. The plot makes no sense, the use of flashbacks is atrocious, and everything about this movie fails. Everyone who participated in this film, especially the actors who wasted their talent, should be extremely ashamed of this awful, awful movie. It makes perfect sense why it was released in January.

Grade: F

My review for “Malcolm & Marie”: https://reelopinion.com/2021/02/12/malcolm-marie-is-pretentious-and-miserable/

“The Meadow” – Short Film Review

“The Meadow” is a new silent short film from Dev Mitra and Simon Wu. The film is set in a futuristic society where virtual reality and technology have pretty much extinguished the craving to experience the real world and its environment. Barry Zhang plays the main character, a man who refuses to become addicted to technology like everyone else and avoids it whenever he can. He is a sort of outcast, but when he meets a woman with similar ideals as him, he finds new meaning.

One of the main takeaways is how great the visual effects look. All of the colors, textures, designs, and small details are really impressive, and are possibly the best part of this great film. The cinematography is also beautiful, especially this shot at a bar:

The film also does a great job at telling its story without any words. That can be scary to many filmmakers, but Mitra, Wu, and company were able to craft a powerful story purely through impressive visuals.

“The Meadow” is a unique and well-made short film that lives up to its ambitions. I strongly recommend this film and encourage you to share “The Meadow” around. Here’s the link to the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-BIGfSYXQo

Grade: A+

“Judas and the Black Messiah” Review

Image result for judas and the black messiah

“Judas and the Black Messiah” was directed by Shaka King and stars Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons, and Dominique Fishback. It’s based on the true story of the assassination of Fred Hampton (played by Kaluuya), a chairman of the Black Panther Party in the late 1960’s, and focuses on the involvement of Bill O’Neal. Lakeith Stanfield plays O’Neal, an ex-con used by the FBI to infiltrate the party. Basically, the movie is one half “The Departed” and one half “Malcolm X.”

Image result for judas and the black messiah lakeith stanfield — **LAKEITH STANFIELD AS BILL O’NEAL**

One of my favorite aspects of the film is the acting. Everyone gives some of the best performances of their careers. Jesse Plemons of “Breaking Bad” fame played FBI agent Roy Mitchell in the film, and I thought he was great. He started out as a seemingly polite and caring person, but as the film progressed he became more and more emotionally detached and controlling. Daniel Kaluuya was also fantastic; it’s clear he put a lot of effort into replicating the real Fred Hampton’s voice and mannerisms. However, I thought Lakeith Stanfield gave the best performance of the film. He was paranoid when he wasn’t with the Black Panthers and was confident & fierce when he was with them. He felt like a real informant.

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Image result for shaka king judas and the black messiah — **SHAKA KING ON THE SET OF “JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH”**

The environment of the movie was realistic and was well-developed. I felt the tension between the Black Panthers and the police/FBI throughout the entire film, which was clearly the intention of the filmmakers. Speaking of the filmmakers, Shaka King’s direction was phenomenal. He brought a lot of intensity into the film and also was a great director of actors. He had a needed style to his filmmaking, and the scene where Hampton is eventually murdered was flawlessly executed. I couldn’t think of a better way to handle it.

The cinematography and lighting might have been the best I’ve seen since “1917.” There was very little shaky cam (which I hate by the way), and when there was shaky cam, it wasn’t jarring or out of place. The use of close-ups was great too, and it wasn’t overused like it is in other films.

As for how factually accurate “Judas and the Black Messiah” is, I’m not sure. In movies based on true events, there has to be some added drama/tension, and I’m sure there were dramatic beats added to this film. I thought the handling of the political and racial issues was respectful; the filmmakers weren’t afraid to go dark at all, which was very important for this type of movie.

Image result for judas and the black messiah deborah

My only gripe worth mentioning is that the movie could have further fleshed out the romance between Hampton and his girlfriend Deborah Johnson (played by Dominique Fishback). I thought their chemistry was satisfactory, but they didn’t have enough scenes in which their relationship progressed. There was a scene of them meeting, two scenes of them having casual conversation, and then they acted like a married couple for the rest of the movie.

“Judas and the Black Messiah” is a great movie that tells an important story effectively. The acting, direction, setting, and character arcs are well-executed, and this is the best film of 2020 so far.

Grade: A

“Malcolm & Marie” is Pretentious and Miserable

“Malcolm & Marie” was written & directed by Sam Levinson and stars John David Washington and Zendaya as the title characters. The movie is about a director and his girlfriend returning from the premiere of his great new film and calmly discussing their relationship. I’m just kidding — this is 100 minutes of two people screaming and cursing at each other.

Image result for malcolm and marie acting

Washington and Zendaya give great performances, possibly the best of their careers. Obviously, they have a lot of scenes where they had to memorize long monologues, and they excelled during those scenes. The dialogue in the film is another great aspect, even though there are a bunch of lines that just spit out exposition for things we never see. Lastly, the cinematography was beautiful and helped add to the intensity of certain scenes.

With that said, “Malcolm and Marie” is still insufferable. It’s like the argument scene from “Marriage Story” but drawn out for almost two hours and without the realism of that movie. It makes absolutely no sense that these people would ever stay together. The level of toxicity is ridiculous, and both of these people would easily be charged with (non-violent) domestic abuse, especially Marie. Marie is super annoying and a total nightmare of a person. I know that was the filmmaker’s intention, but by making his lead character Satan, he sacrificed all credibility because I can’t see how someone like Marie would ever have a relationship with a human being.

Image result for pretentious — **WRITER/DIRECTOR SAM LEVINSON**

Let’s discuss the director Sam Levinson. He’s clearly talented, but still, how pretentious does a filmmaker have to be to think that a movie this vicious (not to mention needlessly black-and-white) is cinema? “Malcolm & Marie” makes Levinson seem like the type of person who thinks “Pink Flamingos” is beautiful. It’s sad that I don’t want to see another film made by him ever again, but I know if I do see one of his movies, I’ll leave with a migraine.

Unless you enjoy ripping your hair out and feeling your heartbeat increase, don’t see “Malcolm & Marie.” However, I do recommend watching a brief compilation of Zendaya and Washington acting their hearts out in the film. January and February, as always, are filled with mediocre to garbage movies. Thankfully, this is on the mediocre side of the spectrum.

Grade: C-

My review of John David Washington’s most recent movie, “Tenet”: https://reelopinion.com/2021/01/08/tenet-review/

“Chinatown” – Classic Film Reviews #9

“Chinatown” was released in 1974 and was directed by Roman Polanski & written by Robert Towne. The film stars Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, Perry Lopez, and John Huston. Nicholson plays Jake Gittes, a compassionate but gritty private investigator in 1930’s Los Angeles running from his past as a former detective in Chinatown. The film’s plot is complicated since it’s a noir mystery, but the gist is that Gittes uncovers a web of corruption & lies after he is hired by Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway) to investigate the death of her husband, Hollis Mulwray, a water & power tycoon.

The men who made 'Chinatown' unforgettable - The Washington Post

(Quick side note to address the elephant in the room: Obviously, what Roman Polanski did in 1977 was disgusting, criminal, and inexcusable. However, his actions outside of directing won’t be mentioned/integrated into my review of the film. In my reviews I only focus on the film that’s discussed and I always keep real-life scandals & politics out of them.)

The Oscar-winning screenplay for “Chinatown” is often called the best of all time, and while I don’t think it decisively is, I definitely understand why critics think that. This is an immaculate script that can be analyzed multiple times for its themes, metaphors, hints, parallels to real-life events, and references to old noir films. What’s really interesting is that all the clues & evidence for the mystery are revealed in the first act of the movie, but the audience and Jake Gittes (who is in every scene by the way) don’t know that until the end.

Chinatown Gittes — **JACK NICHOLSON AS JAKE GITTES IN ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS SCENES OF “CHINATOWN”**

The characters in “Chinatown” are really compelling, especially Jake Gittes. He’s smart and generous while also being a consistent liar and the first person to start a fight. Jack Nicholson plays the character well, and it’s clear that he was the perfect choice to play Gittes since his mannerisms are integral to Gittes. John Huston also gave a standout performance as Noah Cross, the villain of the film. When Huston’s Noah Cross is introduced, he’s charismatic and civilized, but as the film progressed and more is revealed about him, he became increasingly vile and creepy.

JOHN HUSTON IN THE FIRST HALF OF “CHINATOWN”

Another fantastic part of the film is Roman Polanski’s direction, specifically his unique camera movement. He often moved the camera in relation to the characters; for example, the camera would shift with the characters’ feet when they walked. The colors and shots in the film were beautiful too, especially when the stunning landscapes of the movie were featured.

The filmmakers also did a great job at making sure the setting of “Chinatown” looked and felt like the 1930’s. The clothing, architecture, and the way people talked all fleshed out the environment that the movie was going for. It also felt like a 1930’s noir film at times, specifically during the scenes in which Gittes and Mrs. Mulwray interacted.

Robert Towne and David Fincher teaming for Chinatown prequel

It’s important to note that the film doesn’t really pick up speed until 25 minutes in. The first 25 minutes mainly consist of scenes in which Gittes spies on people or has some uninteresting conversations, and unless you are entertained by good cinematography like I am, there isn’t really much to be invested in. The beginning isn’t miserably boring or anything; it just would have been better if around 10 minutes were trimmed.

However, the film’s pacing improves quite a bit after the 25 minute mark, leading to an amazing climax. Without exaggerating, the last 15 minutes of this film might be my favorite finale of any movie I’ve ever seen. The ending is really intense because all he** breaks loose in a shocking yet satisfying way. I can’t emphasize enough how perfect the conclusion of “Chinatown” is. Plus, its final line is one of the best in cinema history:

When it's Chinatown, and my name is Jake. - Album on Imgur

“Chinatown” is a well-written, well-acted, and well-directed film with complex themes and a brilliant ending. While this isn’t a perfect movie, it more than makes up for its slow start in its final act. I love “Chinatown” and I recommend this film to everyone, especially film lovers like myself.

Grade for Film Lovers: A+

Grade for Average Moviegoers: A

Classic Film Reviews #8: https://reelopinion.com/2021/01/22/reservoir-dogs-classic-film-reviews-8/