Category: Action

“I.S.S.”

6.1

Ladies and gentlemen, we have our first bomb of the year!

What could have been an interesting plot is sufficiently squandered by the time the credits roll. We didn’t need this movie. Let alone the tired Russia vs. U.S. plot. The sad state of space CGI. Mediocre execution. Maybe it’s just that “Interstellar” set too high of a bar, and movies since are just struggling to catch up?

Nothing against the cast. They tried. There was just nothing to work with here. The only bright spot was that it was on an hour and a half of my life I can’t get back.

“Self Reliance”

7.8

Anna Kendrick was in it, so you know I had to watch it.

Once I dove in, I was pleasantly surprised by this one! A mix of “Squid Game,” romantic comedy, “It Follows,” and the “Purge” series… in a blender of head-scratchers. The sweet moments and genuine chemistry between Jake Johnson and pretty much every member of the cast caught me off-guard, and really added to the movie itself. Hulu’s known for sleeper hits, and this is no exception! Definitely not your typical action or romance movie, but a fun hour and a half ride!

“Ferrari”

7.1

It’s no “Ford v. Ferrari.”

That being said, it’s still solid. Much more family drama than racing epic. The racing scenes that are part of the film are gorgeous and as intense as they come. I want to definitely warn those heading into this one that there is carnage galore when the rubber meets the road. The early days of road racing were downright deadly, and this film doesn’t shy away from it.

The cast is full of sneak attacks, and everyone fits exceptionally well, especially the main love triangle of Adam Driver, Penelope Cruz, and Shailene Woodley. The man liked fast cars and even more dangerous women. Respect.

A nice cap on my year at the movies! Look for the yearly recap tomorrow!

“Godzilla Minus One”

8.1

Far better than any of the U.S. Godzilla films. This film has stakes and substance in abundance. Well worth the subtitles.

The first 10-15 minutes of this film are truly ruthless. Where our American counterparts suffer from fear of alienating audiences, opting to play it safe, this film goes for broke at every opportunity. It delivers a much deeper message about the human experience and harkens back to the original themes of the Godzilla franchise, grappling with our use of technology and obsession with progress without regard for collateral damage and general consequences.

For such a small budget, this film also looks absolutely gorgeous, even in its destruction. The attention to detail and creativity is evident in almost every frame, and there’s a collective sense of care put into the craft that comes across throughout the entire runtime. An all-time blockbuster on the year!

“The Killer”

7.4

I may have over-hyped this one in my head a bit. It even got me to subscribe to Netflix for a month to watch it. (It’s one of the few streaming services I don’t have unless they suck me in with a release like this that I would have had to travel to CHICAGO to see)

It’s absolutely gorgeous, and Michael Fassbender is perfect in this role. But the the film itself was… surprisingly okay for me. It was solid, but not life-changing as some (including myself) had been expecting.