“An American Pickle” is a new film exclusively on HBO Max which was directed by Brandon Trost and stars Seth Rogen in dual roles. The film is a fish out of water comedy about an immigrant named Hershel Greenbaum who fell into a vat of pickle brine in 1919 America and time travels 100 years into the future where he meets his great-grandson, Ben Greenbaum. Both characters are played by Seth Rogen. The film is able to distract the viewer from the ridiculous plot due to its funny characters and Seth Rogen’s strong performances.
As I’ve stated, Seth Rogen was great in the movie. He made the characters feel like completely different people even when they were standing next to each other and conversing. The best parts of the film were the scenes where the two relatives are just talking to each other and seeing the blatant differences between themselves, and that was mainly due to Seth Rogen’s performances. Also, the director did a fantastic job at making those scenes where the characters were together believable. The stunt doubles weren’t obvious, and neither were the special effects.
However, the movie had some significant flaws. The second half of the film was very cliché, unlike the first half and therefore it was not as funny as the first half. I don’t want to spoil it, but basically it was 45 minutes of the two characters tormenting each other. Also, the ending was extremely abrupt. The scene right before the last one was very dramatic and serious, and without spoiling anything, there was an enormous problem facing one of the characters that was integral to the overall plot. Somehow, that problem was resolved in the next scene and the movie just arbitrarily ended. It was very poor script writing.
“An American Pickle” isn’t Seth Rogen’s best movie, but it certainly has two of his best performances and it was at times hilarious. I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Rogen and would like to see him in a strange, unique film.
Before George Lucas made the original “Star Wars,” he wrote and directed this 1973 classic based on his life. “American Graffiti” stars Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, and Charles Martin Smith, and takes place 1962. It follows many characters on their last night of the summer after their senior year. A ton of people are in this movie, but the main characters are Curt, Steve, John, Terry, and Laurie. The film is unique in that it consists of mainly dialogue and very few events happen. It isn’t exciting or raunchy like other coming-of-age stories; the characters just drive around and talk for two hours. This may sound boring, but the dialogue is hilarious and the characters are really relatable and likeable, so there are barely ever any dull moments in the movie. The reason why most of the characters are so relatable is that they feel like people who one would go to school with. Curt is the insecure guy, John is the popular “jock,” Steve is the overachiever, and so on.
Additionally, Lucas’ directing is brilliant. He places and moves the camera in a way that makes the viewer feel like they are in the car or on the streets alongside the characters. The film is truly immersive and engaging. There are many films where the setting is integral to the story, but there are very few where the setting is the narrative like this film. My only significant gripe with the movie is that it lacks any exposition at the beginning, meaning there is no description and/or introduction to the characters and the story, making it hard to understand. Besides that, this is a great film that I strongly recommend to anyone looking for a fun coming-of-age comedy or that is unfamiliar with George Lucas’ work outside of the “Star Wars” movies.
The MCU has taken the movie industry by storm, so it’s time to rank the MCU Infinity Saga movies from worst to best!
23. Captain Marvel: This movie is offensive in so many ways. Captain Marvel is by far the least likeable character of the MCU movies, Brie Larson’s performance is abysmal, the film is boring, the directing is atrocious, and the film ruined most of the characters of the MCU, especially poor Nick Fury (his eye got scratched out by a cat?!?!). The reason why the movie is so awful was that the makers of the film wanted to promote an out of place political message instead of making a good movie, which was “all men are bad, all women are amazing”. The only positive aspect is the Talos character. Grade: D-
22. Ant-Man and The Wasp: This has the worst script of any MCU movie. For those who haven’t seen it, the movie is about Ant-Man and the Wasp’s adventure to find Janet Van Dyke, who has been trapped in the “phantom zone” for thirty years. Spoilers: when they found Janet, who has had no access to food or water for three decades, she is healthy, sane, and is even wearing mascara. Oh yeah, and she can control minds. What a horrendous script! At least the special effects were sometimes fun. Grade: D-
21. Thor: The Dark World: It’s the most boring and unmemorable movie of the MCU. That’s it. This is a waste of two hours.Grade: D-
20. Iron Man 2: This film has so many things going on at the same time. Iron Man is an alcoholic, he created a new element, Rhodey becomes War Machine, Whiplash tries to kill Iron Man, Justin Hammer is jealous of Tony Stark, and the Avengers Initiative is introduced, all in the same movie. The best parts of the film are Scarlett Johansson’s introduction as Black Widow and Robert Downey Jr.’s performance as Tony Stark, who is always solid in these movies.Grade: D
19. The Incredible Hulk: This movie is the black sheep of the MCU, not only because Bruce Banner was played by Edward Norton before he was later replaced by Mark Ruffalo, but the whole tone and vibe of this movie seems strange and different from the other MCU movies. Also, the CGI for the Hulk doesn’t hold up, and the movie has no stake in the overarching plot of the MCU. If you skip this film, it will have no effect on your understanding of the other films.Grade: D+
18. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: This movie has terrible villains, overly dramatic and boring scenes, and Drax became a bumbling idiot, when in the first film he had a great arc in which he was a cold hearted killer who changed his ways when he gained a new family after the loss of his wife and daughter. However, Baby Groot is adorable.Grade: D+
17. Thor: While it is definitely better than its sequel, it still has a ton of problems. The camera angles are disgusting to look at, and some of the supporting characters are brutally annoying, like Darcy, the unfunny comic relief character. However, this movie introduced Loki, who is one of the best villains of the MCU.Grade: C-
16. Spider-Man: Far From Home: I saw more Iron Man in this movie than I did Spider-Man, and Robert Downey Jr. wasn’t even in the movie. Another negative is that Mysterio is another generic Marvel villain who is a waste of potential. Despite its flaws, the movie still has creative action scenes and witty dialogue.Grade: C-
15. Doctor Strange: This is the first decent movie on this list. First of all, the special effects in this movie are astounding and truly brilliant. I also love Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange, as well as Benedict Wong as, ironically, Wong. However, the movie essentially is a remake of Iron Man just with magic.Grade: B-
14. Avengers: Age of Ultron: I don’t like how this movie gets such a bad rap. While it wasn’t as good as the other Avengers movies, it was still entertaining and all of the characters were given great moments — even Hawkeye! Also, this movie finally gave us a fight between Iron Man and the Hulk, which was a dream come true for all comic book fans.Grade: B
13. Ant-Man: Who would’ve thought that Paul Rudd, who is known for comedies, would be make a great superhero? Michael Douglas is brilliant as Dr. Hank Pym, and the banter between him and Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang is great. The movie is also hilarious, and it rightfully understands that a man with the ability to control ants is a ridiculous concept. However, this is an incredibly formulaic film that has no originality in its narrative. Grade: B
12. The Avengers: The scene where the six heroes assemble in a circle will always be iconic. The action in New York was enthralling and the performances were great, but Joss Whedon’s script was too focused on excessive banter on the Helicarrier, which in turn slowed down the pacing of the entire movie. There’s a point where characters arguing stops being relevant to the narrative and just becomes repetitive. I feel that people overlook how boring some of this film’s second act is simply due to this movie being the first of its kind. It’s been almost a decade later; we should be able to acknowledge the flaws of “The Avengers.” Grade: B
11. Black Panther: While I understand and applaud its cultural significance, this isn’t a perfect film. This movie is elevated by Killmonger, one of the best comic book villains of the decade, as well as the intriguing society in Wakanda that it introduced. Unfortunately, the visual effects are at times terrible and it could have been 15 minutes shorter.Grade: B
10. Captain America: The First Avenger: The first act of this film is possibly the best first act of any of the MCU movies, which is saying a lot because “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” and “Iron Man” are both on this list. The first forty minutes are beautiful filmmaking. Chris Evans’ performance as the title character is great, and his acting during the plane crash scene was fantastic. That scene was also very well executed due to its emotional dialogue, great sound effects, and complex cinematography. Peggy Carter was another strong character who remains the best love interest of the MCU. The movie’s biggest problem is the 15-minute segment in which Captain America was just singing songs in plays. The film came to a complete stop just for this boring, pointless, and overly-long montage that added nothing interesting. Grade: B+
9. Iron Man 3: I acknowledge that this is an unpopular opinion, but the reason why I like this film so much is that it is the story of the worst, most chaotic week of Tony Stark’s life. For a movie to be interesting, the main character has to face some challenges, and this movie excels at that. In the movie, Tony’s mansion blows up, he gets stranded in the snowy wilderness of Tennessee, he has to fight a group of terrorists without a suit of armor, and he has to save both the president and Pepper Potts. People don’t like that the Mandarin turned out to be a random actor, and while I don’t care for the decision, it didn’t ruin the movie for me since I’ve never enjoyed the Mandarin character in the comics and it was a unique, fun twist.Grade: A-
8. Spider-Man: Homecoming: This was a great breath of fresh air after the horrendous “Amazing Spider-Man” films. Tom Holland was good as Peter Parker and it was nice seeing his character mature and become a true hero over the course of the movie. Michael Keaton as the Vulture was frightening and intimidating, and the scene with him and Peter in the car was one of the most suspenseful scenes of the MCU.Grade: A-
7. Thor: Ragnarok: This is far superior to the first two Thor movies. Before this film, I never cared about Thor. By making this movie a comedy, Taika Waititi was able to make Thor a likeable and captivating character who was no longer stale. The movie is colorful and exciting, as well as hilarious. My main gripe with the film is that it could sometimes be too lighthearted, which eliminated some of the potential for emotional moments.Grade: A-
6. Avengers: Endgame: Endgame will forever be remembered as one of the best conclusions to a saga in the history of cinema, despite its many flaws. The Russo Brothers took all of the main characters and gave them appropriate and satisfying endings, especially Iron Man and Captain America. The final battle was thrilling and the 3-hour runtime felt like two and a half hours. Of course, the movie had plot holes, and its introduction to time travel tarnishes the future of the MCU because it allows for any problem to be reversed.Grade: A-
5. Guardians of the Galaxy: Yet another funny MCU film, Guardians of the Galaxy remains one of its best, due to its witty dialogue, likeable characters, and classic music. Somehow this movie was able to get people to care about a talking racoon and a walking tree.Grade: A
4. Captain America: Civil War: The conflict between Tony Stark and Captain America was some of the best drama in the saga. All of the characters were solid, the introductions to Black Panther and Spider-Man were genius, and the airport battle was one of the most mesmerizing action sequences in cinema history. However, Zemo’s plan didn’t make much sense.Grade: A
3. Iron Man: The movie that started it all is one of the best that the MCU has to offer. Robert Downey Jr. was so captivating and enjoyable to watch on screen. The action and special effects are great, as well as Jon Favreau’s direction. Before this film, Iron Man was a forgettable C-list character, but after, he became a household name throughout the world.Grade: A
2. Avengers: Infinity War: This film could’ve been simply called “Thanos”, because it is basically his movie, and that’s for the better. Thanos is the best villain of the MCU, and might be the best comic book movie villain since Heath Ledger’s Joker. He was intimidating and powerful, and he controlled every scene he was in with his intimidating presence. The action is enthralling, the character drama is excellent, and the ending is incredibly shocking.Grade: A+
1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier: The Russo Brothers’ first entry in the MCU is its best. The pacing is vigorous, the action might be the best in any superhero movie ever made, the Winter Soldier is a terrifying villain, Black Widow & Nick Fury have never been more interesting, and this movie changed Captain America from a boy scout into a brutal spy. The best thing I can say about this film is that it doesn’t feel like a Disney movie and it doesn’t have the MCU Formula.”The violence is taken seriously and the jokes are minimal, helping craft what is, in my opinion, the second best comic book movie of all time and one of the best action movies of the 2010’s. Grade: A+
“Scoob!” was directed by Tony Cervone and stars Will Forte, Mark Wahlberg, and Frank Welker as the title character. It is an attempt to bring the classic Mystery Inc. team to the big screen, focusing on Scooby and Shaggy’s adventure with a superhero by the name of Blue Falcon.
I’ll start with the positives, which are brief. The animation was excellent most of the time. The lighting and colors and characters all were stunning to look at. Also, Frank Welker was born to play Scooby Doo. His voice is spot on and Scooby was a highlight in the film; he was the only likeable character and the only one who was given any respect. Besides those aspects, not much else in this movie is good.
The movie was made by a bunch of talentless hacks who didn’t care about the Scooby Doo characters, and were only working on the film for a paycheck. The writers of this film have written critically disparaged films such as “Playing With Fire,” “Dr. Dolittle: Tail to the Chief,” “Rampage,” and “Alvin and the Chipmunks: Road Chip.” The film felt like it came out of a conveyor belt; it was so fake and processed. It followed all of the Hollywood animated family movie tropes; the movie even ended with a dance sequence.
As I said earlier, the makers of the film didn’t care about the characters. In fact, they despised them and were even ashamed of them. They weren’t confident in the mystery element of the franchise, so they went with a safe superhero movie that was inappropriate to the Scooby Doo lore. All of the human characters felt nothing like they should be. Fred was too stupid, Shaggy wasn’t cowardly enough, Daphne was the leader instead of Fred, and Velma was a Ruth Bader Ginsburg fan who never lost her glasses. The new characters were boring and uninteresting. They tried to make an arc where the Blue Falcon learns what it means to be a hero, but it didn’t work. The villain, Dick Dastardly, was one of the most one-sided, stale, and poorly written villains I’ve seen in a movie in the past few years.
In addition, the setting was unclear. At the beginning where Shaggy is a child, he is using a cell phone that looks similar to Apple’s iPhone 5 (which came out in 2013), and then the rest of the movie seems to take place 10-15 years later. The movie never explains if the film takes place in the future or present, which constantly left me confused and therefore took me out of the movie.
The film was so strange too. Some of the phrases said in the movie were, “toxic masculinity,” “anachronistic,” “a middle-aged man’s idea of a teenage hipster,” and “millennials.” Do these words sound like they belong in a kid’s movie, let alone a movie about a talking dog?
Overall, this movie was pathetic and unenjoyable all the way through, and I strongly recommend to all Scooby Doo fans to not see this disrespectful movie.
“1917” was directed by Sam Mendes and stars George Mackay and Dean-Charles Chapman, and it takes place in Northern France during WW1. It follows two inexperienced soldiers who are given an order to warn an ally battalion to call off an attack against the Germans in order to save 1,600 men. An important thing to mention is that this movie was shot to look like one continuous take without any cuts.
To give some background information, this film is actually based on a true story Alfred Mendes, a WW1 veteran told his grandson, Sam Mendes (Skyfall, American Beauty). In an interview with extratv, Sam Mendes talked about the inspiration for the film, stating, “It [1917] was inspired by my grandfather who fought in the First World War and he told us stories when I was very little… they weren’t really stories of heroism particularly. They were stories of luck and chance and how lucky he was to have survived.”
One of the reasons this movie is fantastic is the direction of Sam Mendes. It was crystal clear that he spent months planning the timing of the sequences with the production staff in his personal project. It is an extremely deep film and he balanced the tone and themes very well with solid work behind the camera.
The writing was another solid part of the film, but the script still had a few issues. The script does an adequate job of making the viewer feel sympathetic for the main lead, Schoefeld despite the fact we know almost nothing about him, and much of that is due to the excellent acting from George Mackay, who plays that character.
However, the other lead, Blake (played by Dean-Charles Chapman) was annoying at times and often got on my nerves. The point of his character is that he is young and foolish, but the writers go too deeply into that element. In many parts of the movie he’ll make Schofield suffer from his mistakes, an example being when Blake jumps into a ditch next to Schofield, knocking Schofield into an open wound of a corpse.
The acting on display here is brilliant. Mackay is almost Oscar worthy in his nuanced role full of both anguish and compassion. He shows the intense adrenaline within his character without saying a word whenever he is running, hiding, or jumping. Chapman is also phenomenal here, despite the flaws of his character. Both of these actors have chemistry on screen and feel like they could be friends in real life, which is good because it doesn’t take the viewer out of the experience.
There are also many unique cameos in the movie, like Colin Firth as General Erinmore and Daniel Mays as Sergeant Sanders. All the cameo performances are pretty great despite the limited time they’re given on screen, and their characters fit with the realism and tone of the film.
A problem I have with the film is that I didn’t care about the 1600 men in danger. They felt like movie extras, in that none of them had any personality or quirks to them. The fact that the viewer never got the chance to get close to them on an emotional level made the peril they were in feel a little less terrifying. It didn’t take me out of the movie in any significant way, but I would’ve liked to be more concerned and worried for them when they were in danger later on in the movie.
However, the best aspect of this movie is the cinematography by Roger Deakins (The Shawshank Redemption, Skyfall, Blade Runner 2049). WOW. In my opinion, he is the greatest cinematographer of all time, and he definitely proves his talent here in what is possibly his best work. Obviously making the one take style of the film look legitimate, but even the camera angles alone are beautiful. The camera is always moving, so he is increasing the intensity by using that method, and the effort put in here is astounding.
Overall, this movie is a technical masterpiece. You don’t have to be a film auteur to adore this movie’s accomplishments. While the one take shooting style has been done before in movies like “Birdman” or “Rope”, it has never been done in such an invigorating and immersive way. The directing is brilliant, the acting is powerful, and the story is investing. There are some characterization issues, but they are very minor for the most part. I promise viewers who plan to see this movie will be transported into the warzone for an exciting but terrifying experience.
“Joker” was directed by Todd Phillips and stars Joaquin Phoenix, and it takes place in 1981 in Gotham City. Phoenix plays Arthur Fleck, a man disregarded by society who works as a clown-for-hire by day and at night pursues his dream of being a standup comedian. The movie explores his evolution into the Joker. I won’t say anything else about the plot, because I don’t want to spoil so many amazing parts of this movie from the first frame to the last.
Todd Phillips based this movie on the early work of famous director Martin Scorcese specifically “Taxi Driver” and “The King of Comedy”. In an interview with IGN Phillips stated, “I worship Martin Scorcese, like most directors. I grew up worshiping Martin Scorcese. I’m lucky enough to have spent 3 hours with him and I felt bold enough to send him the script. He told me what he thought about it… we talked on the phone and he told me what he loved about it…. It was amazing for me.” Phillips knew that the movie needed to be rated R for the purpose of the genre and the character. Personally, as a huge Joker fan, I’m incredibly grateful for the rating. This character is a mass murdering clown, so I don’t think that a PG-13 rating would be adequate.
Phillips (“The Hangover,” “War Dogs”) wrote the script for this movie with Scott Silver (“8 Mile,” “The Fighter”), and it is a rollercoaster ride. I know this is an overused term, but this really is an exceptional screenplay. The dialogue is mostly clever and snappy, and the plot is unpredictable. I couldn’t see anything coming, and I adored that. One of the biggest praises I can give a movie is if I was thinking about it the next day or not, and I’ve been thinking about this film ever since it appeared in front of me. I will say that there are some minor details in the writing that I have problems with. For instance, there is a bit of goofy and unrealistic dialogue that can take the viewer out of the movie, like when Arthur Fleck says, “They think we’ll all just sit there and take it like good little boys. That we won’t werewolf and go wild, “ referring to wealthy men in society. As to Phillips’ directing, I thought it was great. One could tell that he was really engaging with the actors and he was planning behind the scenes constantly to make his film as great as possible. He defied the poor expectations of him due to his comedy background, and he gave possibly his best work to date.
Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker is, to some, known as the essential Joker. However, 11 years later, we now have Phoenix, who is absolute perfection in this role. He lost over 50 pounds for it, clearly showing dedication. I didn’t see Joaquin Phoenix. All I saw was this creepy, damaged, uncomfortable individual. Phoenix is magnetic and raw, and he constantly looks on edge. He manages to make an irredeemable person seem likeable and relatable. The viewer can tell that the character gains more confidence just by his mannerisms, tone, posture, and even his eyes. Also, his laugh is most likely the best live action Joker laugh because it reveals pain and anguish. During his laughter breakouts, Phoenix coughs and drools and cries rambunctiously. This is without a doubt one of the best lead performances I’ve seen. The biggest reason to see this film is to witness the acting history on display.
As the cinematographer for this film, Lawrence Sher did a spectacular job. Sher makes sure that the camera is always on Phoenix’s character, and he uses brilliant extreme close-ups which improve Phoenix’s performance. The photography is constantly through Arthur’s eyes which fit with the story.
Hildur Guðnadóttir did the magnificent score for this movie which, like the cinematography, enhances the film. The score is its own character that also follows Arthur. As the film moves along and Arthur dives deeper into darkness, the score gets louder and faster. Guðnadóttir actually wrote her music based on the script of the film, which was a brilliant idea. There were also many songs used in this film, like “Rock ‘n’ Roll Part 2” and “Send in the Clowns” which fit well within the scenes they were featured in.
“Joker” is an awesome character study that stays realistic and gritty. The movie is creepy and disturbing, and every element is focused on the journey of Arthur Fleck. His actions are violent and somehow majestic, and Phoenix gives the best performance of his career. The script is strong, the score is engaging, and the cinematography is unique. This film is an accurate representation of the iconic character and it does justice to him. This is a milestone in not only the comic book genre, but in film history as a whole. I strongly recommend this instant classic.
