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Black Panther (2018)
Black Panther - 8.7/10
1. Overall Plot - 9/10
I love the underlying message of this movie. That the villain is the black lives matter guy. He wants revenge for past things that has happened to his people. While T'Challa sees that it is best to be equal and not get revenge. The trials that T'Challa goes through in this are very cool. Seeing Wakanda essentially go through a mini civil war is very cool. Klaue is a very cool villain, even though he was very much a wasted potential.
2. Entertainment / Engagement - 8/10
I had fun watching this again. It isn't the most entertaining super hero movie out there, but is still plenty of fun. Chadwick Boseman did such a good job. His character is so likeable.
3. Emotion / Investment in Story - 8/10
There is tons of emotion in this. The characters go through so much. But you don't really feel it as deep as they do.
4. Theme and Depth of Story - 10/10
This movie has a very good theme. Equality. Not revenge. All are equal now. Just because it used to not be that way doesn't mean it isn't now. You need to be better than the wrong. "The illusions of division". Thinking that one thing is better than the other is inherently wrong.
This movie is very deep. Most people don't even realize how deep it is. They see a man who wants Justice for his people. But what they don't see, is how he is more evil than those who did wrong in the past. The best way to handle it is to stop looking at the illusions of division. We are all equal now.
5. Characters - 9/10
All the characters are fantastic. T'Challa is such a great character. In my mind he is worthy alongside Thor and Steve Rogers of wielding Mjolner. The trials he goes through and comes out on top of are perfect. I love how he sees what needs to be done now, and learns to not dwell on the past.
Shuri is a little annoying and cringe at times, but is fine for the most part. Ulysses Klaue is so wasted. He is basically the main Black Panther villain, and they completely waste him. He had some great potential, and was played by one of the greatest actors of all time. His character was not handled well at the end at all.
Erik Killmonger is a fantastic villain. He is so evil. He wants to spread hate and revenge everywhere, and will do the most evil things to accomplish that. He is one of the most selfish characters we've ever seen. Because of all this he is a fantastic bad guy.
I also really loved the inclusion of Agent Ross. He is one of my favorite characters. So seeing more of him is very fun.
6. Acting / Writing - 10/10
There isn't a single bad actor in this. And the cast is filled with some of the best actors of all time. Chadwick Boseman is by far one of the greatest, and so is Andy Serkis. I loved how they both played their characters. The emotion felt by Chadwick in this movie is top tier. It doesn't get better than this performance.
Michael B. Jordan also did so great as Killmonger. You feel the hate he has so much.
7. Cinematography / Sets - 10/10
This movie is beautiful. The cinematography is amazing. The sets are amazing. The grand shots of Wakanda specifically were very cool.
8. Score / Sound - 8/10
I like the music for this. It isn't the best soundtrack in the world by any means, but fits the film very well.
9. Editing / Pace - 9/10
The editing is great. The fights are edited well to make the choreography look even better.
The pacing is great. I was enjoying the movie throughout and never really got bored of it. It is just hard to tell the time frame of this movie. There isn't really any indication of how long it takes place over.
10. VFX/Practical Effects - 8/10
The CGI was very good. There was some parts that it definitely felt like CGI, but not at all bad. Still very cool. I wish they did more of a practical suit for Black Panther. As the scenes when it is practical, it looks a lot better than the CGI suit. That being said, the purple kinetic energy on his suit looks very cool.
Average Score:
8.9/10
My Overall Rating and Final Thoughts:
8.7/10
I love the message of this movie. This movie is secretly very conservative, and I think that is awesome. A lot of more liberal people like this movie because they are only looking at it shallow, but if you actually think about it and go into a more in depth look you see the true message behind it. That everyone is equal, and you shouldn't seek revenge for wrong doing in the past.
Superman Returns (2006)
Superman Returns - 6.5/10
1. Overall Plot - 6/10
I think the plot for this movie is pretty good. I actually really like it. It is just not original at all. It feels like the first Superman movie just without an origin story. Also having Superman be gone for a while and coming back is interesting. I think this movie would have been better as a reboot rather than a continuation of Superman one and two.
2. Entertainment / Engagement - 3/10
This movie is far too long. It is pretty boring and doesn't have much action.
3. Emotion / Investment in Story - 4/10
They try to add emotion by having Superman's son, but it just ends up feeling creepy.
The long runtime makes it hard to get invested.
4. Theme and Depth of Story - 5/10
Truth and sacrifice are a good theme for this one. Superman has been gone for a while, and has to learn and accept the truth of how things are different.
5. Characters - 4/10
This is the worst part of the movie. They just tried to make all the characters the same as the Christopher Reeve movies. They should have made it feel more original. Superman doesn't feel to bad, but he feels not as super as he should. Just kind of dull. I actually like Lois Lane in this better than the Christopher Reeve Superman films. But that is because I hate Margot Kidder Lois. Jimmy Olsen is so dumb in this. I really like the Richard White. He was a good love interest for Lois. Having Superman's son is just not needed or wanted.
6. Acting / Writing - 3/10
The acting is not good. It's not the worst thing in the world for the most part though. The thing that makes it bad is they are trying to act how they are in Christopher Reeve Superman. For example, Brandon Routh. He really isn't bad at acting in this. But the problem is, is that he feels like he is acting as Christopher Reeve acting as Superman. Rather than just acting as Clark Kent and Superman. I enjoyed Kate Bosworth as Lois a lot. She might be the best Lois we've seen in a live action film. Kevin Spacey Lex Luthor is very boring and generic.
7. Cinematography / Sets - 8/10
I actually liked a lot of the cinematography in this. The flying shots are super cool.
8. Score / Sound - 9/10
They used the theme from the Christopher Reeve films, and it is so good. It could've been used more though.
9. Editing / Pace - 2/10
The pacing of this movie is terrible. It could be and should be an hour shorter. It makes it very boring. And there isn't much action scenes at all, which makes it even more boring.
10. VFX/Practical Effects - 7/10
I was actually very impressed by the effects in this. I was expecting them to be bad, but they weren't. They were on par for the time. I especially loved the flying scenes. They made Superman feel so much faster than we've seen before.
Average Score:
5.1/10
My Overall Rating and Final Thoughts:
6.5/10
This movie was a lot better than I remember it being. I was actually impressed, because I remember it being bad. It is just way to long and boring. There isn't enough action scenes at all. Barely any in fact. I also love all the nods to the comics. It's cool to recognize some of the shots.
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Thor: Ragnarok - 7/10
1. Overall Plot - 6/10
I like the Ragnarok storyline a lot. And I like the Sakaar storyline a lot also. But I hate how they did Sakaar in this movie. It doesn't fit for a Thor movie at all, and it's supposed to be a Hulk planet. I just feel like Thor was out of his character the whole movie. It didn't feel like a Thor movie at all.
2. Entertainment / Engagement - 8/10
This movie used to be a lot more entertaining for me. But now all I see is how it doesn't feel anything like a Thor movie. But the movie itself as a standalone thing is still pretty entertaining.
3. Emotion / Investment in Story - 7/10
There is a good amount of emotion in this. But it doesn't hit as deep as it should. For as much as Thor goes through, he just doesn't really feel that much emotion. It's like he almost forgets about it, rather than dealing with it how he should.
I don't really get that invested in this movie, because it does not feel anything like a Thor movie.
4. Theme and Depth of Story - 4/10
I cannot honestly think of a theme for this movie. It kind of feels very random in that sense.
This movie isn't very deep at all. It tries to go deep into Thor, Asgard, and the past, but it just misses.
5. Characters - 4/10
The only characters I like in this movie is Loki and Korg. Loki is really the only one who stays true to himself and had proper character development. While Thor doesn't feel like Thor at all. He acts complete differently than he ever has, and there isn't really a reason why. Hela is more annoying than menacing, and something about her I just don't like. She seems to cheesy. She has no reason for us to even think of her as a villain, as even the main characters don't really know anything about her. Korg is a great comic relief character. He just has great one liners. I also like how Heimdall is still helping the Asgardians, but he should have been in it a lot more.
I also hate how Hulk is a bit smarter. He is talking more, and smashing less. Mark Ruffalo Hulk just sucks. And Bruce Banner being in this movie doesn't really fit in a Thor movie at all. It's part of why it doesn't feel like a Thor movie. Valkyrie is also just kind of annoying, and pretty forgettable.
6. Acting / Writing - 6/10
The only good actor in this is Chris Hemsworth. And he just doesn't feel as good in this as Thor. Probably because the character was changed so much. Tom Hiddleston as Loki is still great, and honestly steals the spotlight in this film.
All the other actors aren't great. Cate Blanchett sucks as Hela. Mark Ruffalo is worse than usual as Bruce Banner. And Tessa Thompson is not great at all as Valkyrie. Even Jeff Goldblum isn't that great as the Grandmaster. He's just too weird. A lot of Goldblum goes a long way, and in this case it's too much.
7. Cinematography / Sets - 8/10
This movie looks great. It is very bright and vibrant.
8. Score / Sound - 5/10
The music for this movie isn't bad. I actually kind of like it. But it absolutely does not fit this movie or Thor at all. It is way different than anything we've heard before, and ruins a lot of epic moments.
9. Editing / Pace - 8/10
The editing is good. The fight scenes are edited well.
The pacing is pretty good. It is just a bit rushed at the beginning, but is pretty good throughout.
10. VFX/Practical Effects - 8/10
All the CGI and effects are very good. Hulk just doesn't look that good, and his face is ugly. Hela's sword power stuff is also not that great looking. It kind of looks pretty cheesy.
Average Score:
6.4/10
My Overall Rating and Final Thoughts:
7/10
I don't dislike the movie, but I don't think it is as cool as a lot of people think. It just doesn't feel like a Thor movie at all. And they completely changed his character in it. I do really like Loki in this movie though.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes - 9/10
1. Overall Plot - 5/10
This is what hurts the movie the most. Throughout the film I was wondering what the plot even was. But that's because it is very much a setup movie. The plot that there was, was very good. It's not that there is no plot. It's just that it changes and develops a lot from the beginning and end.
I like the brand new characters and new start. I think after the next movies come out, it will make this a lot better. The story it is setting up seems super intriguing.
2. Entertainment / Engagement - 9/10
I enjoyed this movie a lot. I can see how it could get boring for a lot of people. But I liked it a lot. It got a bit slow, but I still was enjoying it throughout still.
3. Emotion / Investment in Story - 9/10
This movie doesn't have as much emotional drive as the other three because it is brand new characters. But they still do a fantastic job with feeling for the main character. He goes through a lot of stuff. It gets you very invested in his story. And where it is going.
4. Theme and Depth of Story - 9/10
There isn't a definitive theme. But more or less is just more of a true Planet of the Apes. It has smart Apes and feral humans.
I like how they treat Caesar in this. And that he is a legend, or almost like Ape Jesus.
5. Characters - 10/10
I enjoyed all the characters very much. Raka was very enjoyable especially. I loved every scene he was in. Mae was also very interesting. I think her character was done very well. We don't see her complete story yet, but I think it is going to be good. The humans versus Apes is super interesting. You cannot really decide who the bad guys are, and that's a good thing.
6. Acting / Writing - 10/10
No complaints. All the Apes were great. And the Human actors did great too. Freya Allan did a great job as Mae. It is hard being the lead Ape after how good Andy Serkis did, but I think Owen Teague did fantastic as Noa.
All the writing was very cool. The Apes talk a lot more like Humans now, so that was cool to see. The Humans writing was also interesting, and seeing them plan for things is cool.
7. Cinematography / Sets - 9/10
I really enjoyed the cinematography in this movie. There was some very cool shots. I like how it wasn't too dark.
The setting of this movie is so cool. I love the ruined and overgrown world so much. It's so cool.
8. Score / Sound - 8/10
The music was very good. But just not anything spectacular. It did still sound like Planet of the Apes music though, which is good.
Because the Apes talk a lot better now, they don't make as much Ape noises. But they still do a lot, and it still sounds very good.
9. Editing / Pace - 7/10
The editing was great.
The pacing was a little slow. I still enjoyed it a lot, and was fine with it. I think the slowness is good because the movie set up a lot.
10. VFX/Practical Effects - 10/10
The Apes still look so good. One thing that impressed me was the water. Water CGI is hard to do well, and in this movie it looked so good.
Average Score:
8.6/10
My Overall Rating and Final Thoughts:
9/10
I really liked this movie. It isn't as good as the previous three, but is still very good. It is a great brand new start and I'm super excited to see where it leads.
War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
War for the Planet of the Apes - 9.6/10
9.6/10
1. Overall Plot - 10/10
I love how the Apes are trying to find a home safe from humans. Caesar just wants to keep his family safe, and be at peace. The idea of the virus mutating is super cool. And help explains what further happens to make this a planet of Apes. The human army fighting and hunting down the Apes is very entertaining to watch.
2. Entertainment / Engagement - 10/10
This is just as entertaining as the other two. Watching how the Humans treat the Apes is crazy. The Apes are so much fun to watch.
3. Emotion / Investment in Story - 10/10
This has so much emotion in it. Caesar goes through more than anyone ever. It is so crazy to watch. The relationship the Apes have with each other is so good.
I got so invested watching this. You want to help the Apes, and you really want to see a happy ending for them.
4. Theme and Depth of Story - 9/10
This movie could have lots of themes. I think family is a big one. And sticking with your people. Another is good versus bad.
This movie is very deep. The sheer emotion that is displayed is so good.
5. Characters - 10/10
I love all the characters in this. The new and old. The villain is crazy. He is just full of hate and revenge. A good reminder for Koba and everything he did. Another character I enjoy is Bad Ape. I like the idea of another talking Ape from another area of the world. He is very entertaining to watch. Nova is another side character. She is great for Maurice's character. As we get to see more of how caring he is. Caesar is very cool and scary yet again. He goes through so much, it's actually crazy how he keeps getting up and helping the other Apes.
6. Acting / Writing - 9/10
All of the acting is fantastic. Woody Harrelson is the only actor I wouldn't say is perfect. He is still very good, just not as good as he could be. He should feel more crazy. Sometimes it just feels like he could be doing more than he is.
The writing is great. I especially love the scenes of Caesar dealing with what happened with Koba.
7. Cinematography / Sets - 9/10
The cinematography is nothing special. Just average. I do like how it isn't as darkly lit. They still frame it to make the Apes feel so much scarier.
I like the settings of this movie a lot. From the deep forests, to the snowy mountains.
8. Score / Sound - 9/10
I love the music in this. It is so good. It makes you feel the intensity so good.
The Ape sounds are yet again perfect.
9. Editing / Pace - 10/10
The editing is great. The Apes all look spectacular. Even when interacting with Humans.
The pacing is also great, and I couldn't see it any other way. Other than maybe not realizing how far the Apes travel. But that isn't really a pacing issue.
10. VFX/Practical Effects - 10/10
The effects are perfect. Literally crazy that it looks that good. The Apes look completely real.
Average Score:
9.6/10
My Overall Rating and Final Thoughts:
9.6/10
I really enjoy this movie a lot. It is a great finale to this trilogy. It ends off perfectly. Seeing Caesar go through and deal with the things he does is so entertaining.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - 9.7/10
1. Overall Plot - 10/10
This is the start of an actual Planet of the Apes. I love how it is ten years after the first film. It is cool to see most of the humans wiped out, and how they are learning about the Apes. It is cool to see them try and live at peace with each other. Having a lot more smart Apes working together is very cool. Koba wanting to be the Ape in charge is also a very good plot point.
2. Entertainment / Engagement - 10/10
This movie is as entertaining as the last. It is cool to see a lot more smarter Apes. And the humans being mostly wiped out is super cool. The action scenes are very exciting. This movie keeps you in suspense, and is pretty intense at some parts, which makes it very entertaining.
3. Emotion / Investment in Story - 10/10
Everything the Apes do is drived by emotion. Whether it's selfish because of hatred and revenge, or love because of family.
4. Theme and Depth of Story - 10/10
A good theme for this is family, and loyalty. If you stick with the ones who you care about, and who care about you, than it creates a real family. Every problem in this movie is caused by some type of betrayal or disloyalty.
This movie is very deep. Going into Caesar's emotions deep. We see that he just wants peace, and his family to be safe.
5. Characters - 10/10
I love all the characters. Caesar is still great to see. It is cool seeing him be the leader of the Apes. I love the Human characters too. The good ones, that want to help everyone, like Malcolm and his family are very cool. It is also cool to see characters that just want to help the humans, and don't care about the Apes.
Koba is an incredibly great written character. The hate I have for him is insane. He is one of the best film villains in my opinion. He just doesn't care about anyone but himself, and will do anything to get what he wants. And the way he drags others down with him is just evil.
6. Acting / Writing - 10/10
The acting is amazing. Apes and humans alike.
Writing is also very good. I love how we get more of the Apes talking. The way they use their voice is super cool.
7. Cinematography / Sets - 9/10
The cinematography is great. There is some very cool shots. It makes the film so much more intense. They film it to show how big, scary, and powerful, the Apes actually are.
I love how the city is overrun by plants. It is so cool to watch. And the Apes home is very cool.
8. Score / Sound - 9/10
The music is very good. It makes the movie so much more intimidating. They are great at making every scene feel intense in a great way. It keeps you very entertained. The music does a great job at hyping you up while watching it too.
The sound design is spectacular. The Apes sound so good and realistic.
9. Editing / Pace - 9/10
The editing is very good. The Apes all look so good and fit into the environment very well.
The pacing is great, and the movie doesn't feel rushed or slow. It is a great runtime, and fits it very well. It is just hard to realize sometimes that there is days taking place between scenes. It all kind of feels like a day or two, but it is actually a lot longer than that.
10. VFX/Practical Effects - 10/10
Literally perfect effects. The Apes look so good. It's crazy that it can actually look that good.
Average Score:
9.7/10
My Overall Rating and Final Thoughts:
9.7/10
I love this movie. It is hard to choose between these first two, which is better. I personally like the first one just the tiniest but more. But I also think this movie is very, very good. Seeing the Apes try to work, and also fight with the humans is super cool.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
Rise of the Planet of the Apes - 9.8/10
1. Overall Plot - 10/10
I love this movie. The Planet of the Apes movies are some of my favorite. And this one might be my favorite of the three. I love how we get to see our world as it is today. Introducing how the planet became all Apes is very cool. The origin of how the Apes became smart, and that being the same virus that killed all the humans is super cool. I also love seeing Caesar growing up among the humans, and watching him get smarter.
2. Entertainment / Engagement - 10/10
This movie is very entertaining. I could see how for some people it might be a bit boring, but not at all for me. Watching Caesar learn and get smarter is so much fun. I love how they make some of the Ape scenes scary. Because they really are big, powerful, and smart animals.
3. Emotion / Investment in Story - 10/10
Watching Caesar change emotionally to his "father", Will, is so good. The love, and eventual betrayal he feels is so intriguing to watch. Also seeing Will wanting to help his father get better is also very emotional. Especially because of how brutal Alzheimer's can be.
I found myself getting super invested into Caesar's journey. Everything he plans out and does is so cool. You want to see him succeed and get even smarter.
4. Theme and Depth of Story - 10/10
A good theme I think for this one is to not underestimate things. They treat the Apes as dumb animals and that helps lead to the humans eventual demise.
This movie is super deep. For Caesar not really being able to talk throughout the movie, we can always see exactly what he is thinking and feeling. The emotion he shows is so spectacular.
5. Characters - 10/10
I love Will Rodman. He is a fantastic character, that has a great motivation for doing what he does. He takes in Caesar, and raises him as his own kid.
Caesar is so cool. Watching him learn, grow, and get smarter is super fun. He feels very scary as he gets bigger.
All of the other side characters are good too.
6. Acting / Writing - 10/10
All of the acting is phenomenal. James Franco is super good in this. You can see how much he cares about helping his dad and Caesar. Andy Serkis as Caeser is very good. The motion capture for him is very good, and realistic.
7. Cinematography / Sets - 8/10
Nothing super extra. But still very good. I love how there is bright and dark parts. Some of the shots of the Apes are very good. They really show how scary they can be.
The settings are very cool. Especially when the Apes are in the city. Watching the humans try to fight them, as they escape is super cool.
8. Score / Sound - 9/10
The music is super good and fits great with the film. While watching it, it makes you feel the suspense, and intensity of the scenes.
The sound design for the Apes is also super good. They sound spectacular.
9. Editing / Pace - 8/10
The editing is awesome, and makes that Apes feel so cool.
The pacing isn't bad at all, and actually fits the story very well. I just wish the film was longer. It is a shorter film, but that is mostly because it is a setup for things to come.
10. VFX/Practical Effects - 10/10
Literally perfect. It's crazy how good the Apes look.
Average Score:
9.5/10
My Overall Rating and Final Thoughts:
9.8/10
I love the Planet of the Apes movies. And this is my favorite of them all. It is so much fun to watch, and keeps you well entertained.
Star Wars: Tales of the Empire (2024)
Star Wars: Tales of the Empire - 8.9/10
1. Overall Plot - 6/10
This is what hurts this series the most. Half the series is about Morgan Elsbeth. And Half is about Barris Offee. I just don't really care about the Morgan Elsbeth. She is boring and forgettable. The best part of her episodes is the Clone Wars stuff. But that is very brief.
And I was excited to see what happened with Barris, but I don't really like what they did. It starts out great. But by the third episode I think they took it in the wrong direction. Her story just feels generic and overdone by now. I also wish we got to see more Darth Vader.
2. Entertainment / Engagement - 9/10
This was very entertaining to watch. They made the story with a boring character, very entertaining. And seeing what happened to Barris is cool. Seeing how the Empire created their inquisitors is super cool.
The last episode is kind boring, as I don't like what they did with Barris.
3. Emotion / Investment in Story - 10/10
This has so much emotion. Morgan Elsbeth looses her entire race, and family pretty much. And Barris Offee is getting taught the opposite of everything she's believed in. It's super cool to see what this does to these characters.
4. Theme and Depth of Story - 10/10
A big theme for this one is choices. We see how these characters make choices based off of their tragedies. It defines who their characters are. In Morgan's case it shows how she became the character that we've seen. And for Barris' case it shows what she did after embracing some darkness.
5. Characters - 5/10
Morgan Elsbeth is just a character I don't care about. So seeing more of her story is just kind of boring. But seeing appearances like General Grevious is very cool. I do like how we see how she becomes a villain, and seeks out the Dark Side. Young Thrawn is also cool to see too.
Barris Offee is a very interesting character. I think what they did with her character is dumb. They had it set up so good with her becoming an inquisitor. But how her character ended up developing and where she ends up is disappointing. It's overdone at this point. And makes no sense with what she had done in the past. I'm not a fan of the Barris story, and wish they did it differently. Especially the last of the three episodes.
6. Acting / Writing - 9/10
All of the voice acting is great. And bringing back other voice actors for characters like Grievous or Barris is what they needed to do, and did do.
The writing is very good in the Morgan Elsbeth episodes. And for the Barris Offee episodes it is also very good. I just don't like the direction they took for the end of her story.
7. Cinematography / Sets - 10/10
This show is beautiful. Star Wars animation is getting better and better. I love how all the shots fit the feel of the episodes. They feel very scary and dark. I love how evil the Empire feels in the Barris episodes. Especially with Vader's presence.
8. Score / Sound - 10/10
Star Wars music. The score helps make it feel evil, and definitely gives it a darker tone.
9. Editing / Pace - 8/10
This is an anthology. So the pacing is different every episode. They are all paced very well. I just wish the episodes were longer. Because of the shorter runtime, there is no filler. It is all great content.
10. Animation - 10/10
This is peak animation. I love it. It is animated beautifully. The fight scenes look very good, and are action packed. The animation does a phenomenal job at setting the tone of each episode.
Average Score:
8.7/10
My Overall Rating and Final Thoughts:
8.9/10
I want to love this and want to think it's peak Star Wars. But it just isn't. Don't get me wrong, it's still very good. It just had the potential to be even better. I would say I feel more disappointed after watching this. Because they has the opportunity to do something very cool with Barris, but instead did something usual, predictable, and boring.
Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
Solo: A Star Wars Story - 9.3/10
1. Overall Plot - 8/10
Seeing a younger Han Solo, and learning how he bacame the smuggler he is, is a very, very cool concept. I love how we see how and why he does things the way he does. I love the heist feel of this movie. It is very entertaining.
It is very cool to see so much of Han's story of how he came to be. But it is almost too much. They pack so much important back story stuff into this movie that it is unrealistic that that much important stuff would happen in that short of time. I do not think this ruins the movie at all. It is a great fan service, and I love watching all of it.
The Enfys Nest sub plot is the worst part of this movie. It is just dumb and out of place. It's really nothing to care about, and is super forgettable. It doesn't really take away from the film though. Just moves the plot along a bit.
2. Entertainment / Engagement - 10/10
I really enjoy this movie. A lot of people don't like this film, and I have no idea why. It is a huge fan service movie. We get to see the backstory of one of the most beloved characters in all of Star Wars. It also goes pretty deep in Star Wars Lore, which is very cool to see.
Knowing who Han Solo and Chewbacca are gets you pretty engaged in this story. Han feels just how a young Han should be, and it keeps you enjoying it.
3. Emotion / Investment in Story - 9/10
There is lots of emotion in this story. Whether it's love, betrayal, hate, or friendship, we see it all. A lot of it is new characters that we haven't seen before, so it is a bit hard to really feel what they are feeling. Because we have no prior connection to the character.
I get pretty invested while watching this. The heist feel of it is very good at doing this. You also get invested in the story of Han because of how we know his character later on. You want to learn how he became who he is.
4. Theme and Depth of Story - 7/10
There isn't a definitive theme I could see from this movie. But I think a good theme is friendships, and finding those who you can trust. We see this with Han trying to achieve something, but than having to learn and adapt to something different.
This movie isn't super deep. But it's not shallow and dull either. The movie tips back and forth between things that could go deeper, and have bigger lore. But it doesn't get into it. And new ideas that we haven't seen before. I love how for fans you can see some more of the deeper lore in the crime syndicate stuff. It's very cool.
5. Characters - 9/10
I really enjoy all of the characters in this. They all feel very Star Wars. Beckett is a cool outlaw for Han to learn from. And Qi'ra is an interesting love interest to give Han meaning for now. Chewbacca is cool in this, and even though the way him and Han meet isn't my favorite thing in the world, I still think it's very cool. I also love Lando in this, and he feels just like how you would imagine a young Lando Calrissian. Dryden Vos is a very cool bad guy. He feels like a perfect Star Wars crime boss.
Han Solo not being Harrison Ford is tough to do. But Han Solo in this does really feel like Han. It is actually really impressive.
Enfys Nest is just a stupid character. She is dumb, and super forgettable. She is literally the worst part of this movie. Luckily it isn't a big part, so the movie is still good.
6. Acting / Writing - 9/10
All of the cast is great. Alden Ehrenrich did absolutely fantastic as Han Solo. He did as good as you can do without being Harrison Ford. I also loved Woody Harrelson as Beckett. He did really good too, and made the character very enjoyable. Donald Glover also did perfect as Lando Calrissian. I loved Paul Bettany as Dryden Vos. He did the character so good, and made him feel the perfect level of intimidating and creepy.
Erin Kellyman did terrible as Enfys Nest. You know it's bad when she shrinks two feet after taking off the mask. Everytime she talked there was no emotion, and it was super cringey. She ruined the scenes she was in.
7. Cinematography / Sets - 9/10
There is some very beautiful shots in this that look super cool. It is just too dark of a movie. Almost the whole movie is dark and hard to see things going on. This is appropriate for a lot of it though, because it fits lots of the scenes well.
8. Score / Sound - 10/10
The music in this feels very much like classic Star Wars. And that is perfect and what it needed. It is very good, and fits Han Solo well. I love how they use the music to make you feel nostalgic in some scenes.
9. Editing / Pace - 8/10
The editing was very good, and it feels like Star Wars.
The pacing was good. But this movie takes place over a longer time than it seems. And so it's kinda hard to really understand the scope of Han's character development.
10. VFX/Practical Effects - 10/10
No complaints. Everything looks perfect. There is lots of very cool effects in this movie. Especially the space scenes.
Average Score:
8.9/10
My Overall Rating and Final Thoughts:
9.3/10
I like this movie more than most. I think it is very Star Wars. It is very enjoyable, and provides some great backstory to some great characters. I think Han is played perfectly in this. So much so that I wish they would make a younger Indiana Jones movie with the actor for this Han as Indy.
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Spider-man: Homecoming - 8.4/10
1. Overall Plot - 7/10
I really like the growth Peter goes through in this movie. But everything with Iron Man is not good. I hate how vulture is really just a villain because of Stark, and has nothing to do with Peter Parker. I also hate how Peter is constantly getting help from Stark. It feels like he can't do anything on his own.
I do like Vulture. He is a unique villain we haven't seen in a live action movie yet. There is some absolutely fantastic plot twists that feel crazy good. Spider-Man learning to do hard things on his own is a great lesson he learns, and is very entertaining to watch. However, I think this should have happened way earlier on is his character development.
Not doing an origin story is a mistake I think. Yes it's been done a lot, but that's because it's so important. His origin makes his character. So removing that ruins that side of the character.
2. Entertainment / Engagement - 10/10
This movie is very entertaining. I love how he is quippy and funny, just how Spider-Man should be. I like seeing him as a kid still in highschool.
3. Emotion / Investment in Story - 9/10
This movie messes with your emotions a good bit. The plot twists and things that happen are very cool. Seeing Spider-Man struggle hits deep as he is just a kid trying to do his best.
4. Theme and Depth of Story - 8/10
I think a great theme for this one is learning to be a hero. Spider-Man has to learn how to help others by himself, without someone swooping in to save him.
Other than the growth Peter goes through, and some plot twist, the film isn't super deep. But it still is pretty good.
5. Characters - 5/10
They change a lot of stuff from the comics, which I don't like. Liz's character and family is changed. MJ is completely changed, and not for the better. She sucks, and is nothing like MJ in the MCU films. I do enjoy Ned, but I like Spider-Man better when he is truly on his own. Vulture is completely different than we've seem him before. I don't think this is bad though, as he is still pretty cool. He just has no connection to Spider-Man. Flash Thompson is terrible and the complete opposite of what he should be. This is honestly the most bothersome character change. Because Flash has such an important role in Peter's life, and that is just absent in this.
Tom Holland Spider-Man is pretty good. I just hate how much he complains. He is always wanting help from Iron Man. Spider-Man is meant to be a lonely relatable hero who struggles. And they didn't do this at all. He is more like a mini Avenger rather than a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
I don't really like the emoting eyes either. They are great usually, but in this case they are used as an excuse to not have to show emotion otherwise. Not as much body language.
6a. Acting - 6/10
Tom Holland does a great job as Peter Parker and Spider-Man. He has potential to be the perfect Spider-Man. Unfortunately being part of the bigger MCU ruins that. Michael Keaton is great as Adrian Toomes. He is very entertaining and intimidating.
Zendaya as MJ is terrible. Tony Revolori is terrible as Flash. Jacob Batalon did a good job as Ned, but there was some times his acting was kind of cheesy. Good for the most part though.
6b. Writing - 9/10
I love the dialog in this movie. Spider-Man is perfect in his quippyness. The dialog around Peter learning to work on his own is very good too.
All of the writing for Flash and MJ is stupid.
7. Cinematography / Sets - 9/10
There is loads of cool shots in this. I love how we see some very iconic comic book scenes in this.
We don't get to see any iconic Spider-Man swinging scenes in this, but that is OK as he is still in highschool in Queens. I wish we got to see Spider-Man in New York though.
8. Score / Sound - 9/10
The music is very good, and sounds like Spider-Man. I enjoy it a lot and it is very catchy.
The sound design is great too. Specifically, Spider-Man's web's sound and feel great.
I don't like how he sounds in the mask though. It isn't bad, but is just a bit to muffled. And a lot of the time the dialog isn't lined up right with the mask moving.
9. Editing / Pace - 9/10
Edited well. My only complaint is sometimes the talking doesn't line up right with the mask or Spider-Man's body movement.
The pacing is great. Specifically it keeps you engaged and in suspense greatly.
10. VFX/Practical Effects - 7/10
Very good CGI, but not perfect. A lot of it is noticeable. I absolutely hate how they CGI Spider-Man's suit. A practical suit looks so much better. The webs look very cool.
Average Score:
8/10
My Overall Rating and Final Thoughts:
8.4/10
This movie is ruined by Spider-Man needing help constantly from Iron Man. The whole point of Spider-Man is he is a relatable hero with real problems. But not in this film. He isn't on his own, like he should be.
Batman Begins (2005)
Batman Begins - 8.5/10
1. Overall Plot - 9/10
I love how this is an origin story for Bruce Wayne becoming Batman. It is the only proper film to show him actually becoming Batman. Ra's Al Ghul is a perfect villain for this movie. With it being Bruce training and first starting out. I enjoy seeing a little bit of Bruce being Year One Batman, and not being the cocky playboy Bruce Wayne at first. But this doesn't last as long as it should. He should act that way for the whole film.
Scarecrow being a villain in this is also cool. The plan the villains have is very interesting and actually believable. It is pretty creative, and I like the motive they have.
2. Entertainment / Engagement - 8/10
Pretty entertaining. It is very cool to see Bruce train and make his way to becoming Batman.
They do a good job keeping you engaged and you never really feel bored.
3. Emotion / Investment in Story - 10/10
There is so much emotion in this. Showing Bruce's origin story, and his parents death gives you so much reason for the story. You feel why he is becoming Batman.
You get pretty invested in watching Bruce train and get his gadgets. You want to see more of him as Batman.
4. Theme and Depth of Story - 10/10
The Dark Knight trilogy is very very deep. All of the dialog is great and has deeper meanings to it. There is two themes I find in this. The first one is fear. And learning to overcome your fear, and turn it into strength. The second theme I see is to always get back up. One of my favorite quotes of all time is in this movie. Thomas Wayne tells his son, "Why do we fall Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up." It is a great quote showing that we go through hard times to get stronger.
5. Characters - 7/10
I do not like Christian Bale Batman very much. He just doesn't put much emotion into it. Especially his Bruce Wayne. He just doesn't feel like Bruce Wayne at all. His Batman is still pretty good though.
Alfred is amazing in this. The way he treats Bruce and acts is just perfect. I also absolutely love Jim Gordan. He is done as perfect as you can get him.
Rachel Dawes is a pretty boring love interest. But nothing terrible, just nothing special. I also enjoyed the inclusion of Lucius Fox. He is a cool character, and having him help Bruce get his gadgets and tools is awesome.
Batman is done very well. He feels powerful and terrifying.
6a. Acting - 7/10
Most the actors did great. But the two leads are not very good. Christian Bale is kind of dull, especially as Bruce Wayne. And Katie Holmes is boring as Rachel.
Gary Oldman did absolutely perfect as James Gordon. And Michael Caine is great as Alfred. Liam Neeson also did a good job as Ra's Al Ghul.
6b. Writing - 10/10
The writing in this is amazing. Some of the lines are the best written ever. It is what makes this movie so memorable. The Dark Knight trilogy as a whole is super deep and has amazing writing.
7a. Cinematography / Sets - 9/10
The cinematography is dark and gloomy, but that fits well for Batman. It isn't to dark that it is bothersome, and they light up things well enough to see everything going on. I love the shots showing off Gotham City, and how good it looks.
Gotham is perfect in this. It is dark and rainy, but also a big and busy city. They show how full of crime and poverty it is as well.
7b. Choreography - 4/10
Not that the fighting is bad. It is just hard to see anything. They are constantly cutting the camera and moving it around. It is blurred a lot and just hard to tell exactly what's going on. It does feel very fast paced though which is great.
8. Score / Sound - 8/10
The music is very good. It feels like Batman music. I love how serious it feels. It keeps you in the action, and helps you feel the intensity of the plot.
I hate Christian Bale's Batman voice. Yes it's more scary. But it just is kind of stupid. It is too raspy and deep. It is better when Batman's voice sounds real and disguised.
9. Editing / Pace - 6/10
The editing could be better. Specifically the fight scenes. There is just too much cutting and shaking. It makes it harder to see what's going on. Other than the fights the editing is fine.
The pacing isn't bad. But it could be better. It is just hard to get a scope on the timeline of this movie. It takes place over a very long time but doesn't really feel like it.
10. VFX/Practical Effects - 8/10
The effects felt pretty good for the most part. There was a few times they looked bad, but for the time I think it was still pretty good. And Batman looked good the whole time.
Average Score:
8/10
My Overall Rating and Final Thoughts:
8.5/10
I love that this is an origin story. It makes the film. This film is also automatically better because of the Dark Knight trilogy as a whole. I personally just don't think Christian Bale is the best Batman actor, but he's still pretty good.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - 8.7/10
1. Overall Plot - 6/10
The actual plot of this movie is honestly the worst part of this movie. It isn't a bad plot, just nothing crazy. From start to finish it isn't really a full journey that gets laid out. It's more of just figuring it out as it goes. I do like learning about who Star-Lord's dad is, and why he is so special. And seeing the Guardians working together as a team from start to finish is great.
2. Entertainment / Engagement - 10/10
This movie is very entertaining. Every character is fun to watch. And watching them learn about each other is cool.
3. Emotion / Investment in Story - 10/10
This movie hits the emotions super deep. Whether it be Quill and his family, Rocket and why he is what he is, or Gamora being sisters with Nebula, it is all done so well. Every character goes on their own emotional journey, and it is very cool to watch.
Because of how emotional and personal it gets with every character, you want to see how things turn out, and how they develop more as characters.
4. Theme and Depth of Story - 10/10
Family is yet again a huge theme for this one. Peter, Gamora, Drax, Rocket, Groot, Yondu, Nebula, Ego, Mantis, and many more all go through their own family journey. It is actually really interesting to watch.
This movie is super deep. So deep that we don't actually realize it until after the third Guardians movie. But because of the level of this, it makes it so good.
5. Characters - 9/10
All of the characters were handled spectacularly. I love Yondu and Rocket's relationship. It is very cool and intriguing. Learning more about Peter is well needed and delivered great. Gamora and Nebula go through some fantastic development.
I'm not really a fan of Mantis. She is just kind of annoying and dumb. And as cute as baby Groot is, he just isn't as good as adult groot in Guardians one. Those two things are what is keeping this from being a ten.
6. Acting / Writing - 9/10
All of the actors did fantastic. Especially Rocket and Yondu. The emotion they show is next level. Especially for Rocket being CGI. Mantis doesn't feel like the actress is very good, but I think it's more or less the character just coming across that way.
All the writing is good, and develops the characters great. Some of the writing is super deep and I love that.
7. Cinematography - 10/10
This movie is cinematically beautiful. The planets are very cool looking. And there is lots of wide shots to show the grandness of the Galaxy.
8. Score / Sound - 10/10
Guardians of the Galaxy music is so good. I do think the first film has a bit better music, but that doesn't mean that this movies music is bad. It is still so good, and full of classics.
9. Editing / Pace - 7/10
The editing is good. The fight scenes are done very well. Switching between scenes with different people in different places was done well.
The pacing could have been better. It feels slow, but rushed at the same time. The main plot isn't enough to be a full length movie, but all the side stuff helps with that. But because they have to put so much side stuff in it feels more rushed through it.
10. VFX/Practical Effects - 8/10
For the most part the effects were very good. But there were a few parts that it was noticeable CGI. The main fight at the end is where the effects felt the cheapest for sure. Other things like Rocket have absolutely perfect CGI.
Average Score:
8.9/10
My Overall Rating and Final Thoughts:
8.7/10
This movie has some great story telling with its characters. But the plot is just not the best and most interesting in the world. It is still a very good movie, and James Gunn did it very well. The pure emotion in this movie is amazing.
Doctor Strange (2016)
Doctor Strange - 7.5/10
1. Overall Plot - 7/10
I loved the origin story for Dr. Strange. This movie has a pretty good plot. Stephen Strange going from a great surgeon, to losing everything and having to humble himself is very good. And how he is motivated to become a sorcerer is cool. There is just lots of plot holes in this. They aren't anything to bad, but enough to make you wonder. And I wish the story would take place over a lot longer time. It could easily be like five plus years instead of one. And that would make more sense.
2. Entertainment / Engagement - 8/10
This was the first PG-13 movie I saw in theaters. So I think that makes it a lot more enjoyable for me. It is very cool to watch all the magic that they do. Stephen Strange is very entertaining to watch in this as well.
The story feeling like it takes a lot longer than it actually does. And that makes it a bit harder to get more engaged. I will say that you want Strange to get better, as you see how his character develops and gets humbled.
3. Emotion / Investment in Story - 9/10
Seeing how Strange's life gets completely changed, and how desperate he is to get it fixed is very emotional. We see his character completely crash and go down to his lowest point. This makes it so he is able to be built back up as a far better person.
You really want to see Strange get better. You feel for him a lot, and this helps you get very invested in the story.
4. Theme and Depth of Story - 8/10
There could be a few good themes in this one. I think it is mostly about Strange's journey of going from a very successful, and very cocky surgeon, to becoming a true hero. He gets humbled and learns to get over himself. The big step he takes in his journey of becoming a sorcerer is to forget himself and fight for a greater good than him.
5. Characters - 7/10
I really love how Stephen Strange is portrayed in this. He is a great character and goes through some amazing development. The Ancient One is kind of boring and not very deep at all.
The villain is just not to much to care about as we don't get any backstory to help you see them as a bad guy. The side characters are good. Wong, and Christine Palmer are portrayed great. I like how we see a bit of Christine and Stephen's relationship.
6. Acting / Writing - 9/10
All of the actors did great. Especially Benedict Cumberbatch. He did phenomenal as Dr. Strange and fits the character very well. I love how he just feels so smart and gifted.
The only just decent actor was Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One. She just is incredibly boring.
7. Cinematography - 9/10
Has some very cool stuff. The magic and mirror dimension look super dope.
8. Score / Sound - 7/10
The music is very average. But I think it sounds very similar to the Sherlock music. Which fits good because it's Benedict Cumberbatch.
9. Editing / Pace - 5/10
The editing is good. The magic scenes look very well done.
The pacing is not great. The movie itself is fine, but it feels like the time frame is all wrong. It feels like the movie takes place over more than five years, and this makes more sense in the story as well. But in reality it is only about a year. That feels far to rushed with everything that happens with Strange.
10. VFX/Practical Effects - 10/10
The magic effects are very very cool. The warping of reality is fun to watch. And it looks very realistic.
Average Score:
7.9/10
My Overall Rating and Final Thoughts:
7.5/10
I really enjoy this movie. It is probably because it was the first PG-13 film I saw in theaters. The movie itself isn't anything crazy good, or awesome. It is a pretty average MCU superhero movie.
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Captain America: Civil War - 7.75/10
1. Overall Plot - 4/10
The actual plot is the worst part about this movie. It is not comic accurate at all. They just made up their own stuff, which can sometimes be good, but in this case, not at all. I hate how Tony Stark was treated. His character got completely changed and ruined.
That being said, I love how Captain America stays true to his character. And holds firm to his beliefs no matter what. His character was dealt with perfectly.
2. Entertainment / Engagement - 9/10
This movie is very entertaining. A lot of the characters interacting with each other is very cool to watch. And seeing Steve Rogers stay who he is, is awesome.
Tony is so annoying in this. Watching him just being a brat is what is stopping this from being a ten.
3. Emotion / Investment in Story - 8/10
The emotion is definitely there. Steve is just trying to help his friend Bucky, and you feel that. They also try and have you sympathize with Tony about his parents death, but it doesn't really work with how he acts. It's hard to feel for him, when he is the bad guy, and in the wrong.
4. Theme and Depth of Story - 9/10
A theme for this one is unity. Zemo is probably thr most successful villain in the MCU. Because his plan works, and that affects everything in the future. He gets the Avengers to spit up, and that is why they eventually lose to Thanos.
Another theme I love is with Captain America. His whole ideology of staying true to what is right, even when everyone else says otherwise is words to live by. I love how they use one of the most iconic quotes from the comics to describe this.
5. Characters
This is a hard one to rate. Because I love how Cap was handled, but hate how Iron Man was. I'll split this section into two. Cap team vs. Tony team.
5a. Iron Man Team Characters - 2/10
They absolutely ruined Tony as a character. I have loved him prior to this movie. But after and during this he is so annoying. He is just full of himself and won't listen to what others have to say. He is also very hypocritical.
Introducing Spider-Man is good in theory, but not great in execution. I like how he is still just a kid, but including almost none of his backstory is bad. I also hate the fact that he is on Tony's side. In the comics he switches to Cap's side once he learns the whole truth. And I think he should've in this film too. It goes to show how Tony is full of himself, because he doesn't even tell the whole story to Peter, and lies to him.
5b. Captain America Team Characters - 10/10
They did Cap perfectly. With him staying who he is no matter the consequences. I love how Sam and Bucky will follow him no matter what. And Sharon Carter was done great too. With her helping Cap and following his ideology. I enjoyed how the brought Scott Lang in this. And putting him on Cap's team was the right move, because anyone with common sense can see that they are the right team.
Black Panther wasn't really on anyone's team. He was kind of doing his own thing. I used to think he was hypocritical going after Bucky, but then I realized this time while watching that he didn't like the Accords either. It was his father that wanted them. So that was good. It could have been introduced better, than one quick line about it though. I like how Wanda is on Cap's team, because she's has lived with an oppression of her rights before, and doesn't want that to happen again.
6. Acting / Writing - 9/10
All the acting was good. Especially Chris Evans as Steve Rogers.
The only not perfect actor was RDJ for Tony. And I think it's because his character was changed so drastically in the wrong direction.
7. Cinematography - 10/10
This movie is visually great. There is lots of cool shots. I love how they framed the final fight to look how it did in the comic.
8. Score - 8/10
Winter Soldiers music is so good. They should have used it more than they did, but it being included a little bit was good. The rest of the music was good, but nothing super great.
9. Editing / Pace - 7/10
The editing was fine. The pacing could have been better. Tony's character just changes to much in too little time.
10. VFX/Practical Effects - 10/10
No complaints. Looked real and great throughout.
Average Score:
7.8/10
My Overall Rating and Final Thoughts:
7.75/10
The only thing giving this as high of a score as it has is Captain America. His character was handled perfectly. But Iron Man's character was ruined. The action scenes were cool and fun to watch. But this feels more like an Avengers film than a Captain America film.
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith - 10/10
1. Overall Plot - 10/10
This is the climax of the Star Wars Galaxy. Order sixty-six, the fall of the Jedi, and creation of the Empire is the most important and big event in Star Wars. Seeing that all be played out is amazing. There is also the best fight scenes of any movie ever.
2. Entertainment / Engagement - 10/10
Most entertaining a movie can get. It's full of action packed scenes, and just doesn't stop. It's so good. The plot of Anakin becoming Vader is very cool to watch.
3. Emotion / Investment in Story - 10/10
Absolutely full of emotion. Whether it's Anakin's fall to the Dark Side, his love for Padme, his relationship with the Jedi Order, or even with his brother, Obi-Wan. The emotional journey's that every single character goes through is amazing.
4. Theme and Depth of Story - 10/10
This movie is absolutely full of different amazing themes. One I like is the struggle of good and evil. Even the most evil people can sometimes do the most evil things because of good intentions. Anakin didn't want to join the Dark Side. He wanted to save Padme, and in trying to do that was consumed by Darth Vader.
This is one of the deepest movies I've ever seen. Everything has meaning to it. It is a perfect way to tie and connect and give context from the prequels to the original trilogy.
5. Characters - 10/10
All the character are amazing. Anakin is just trying to save Padme. Obi-Wan is just trying to do the best he can and help Anakin. And Palpatine is a truly evil genius who has been pulling all the strings perfectly.
6. Acting / Writing - 9/10
All the acting is amazing. People say Hayden Christensen is bad in this movie, but I think he's amazing. He shows very well just how conflicted Anakin is.
Natalie Portman is pretty cheesy at times. And Ian McDiarmid is also kind of cheesy at times. But I think both of these are very easy to look past. At the end of the day, George Lucas has always said that Star Wars is a space family soap opera. So it being a little to dramatic and cheesy at times makes sense.
7a. Cinematography - 10/10
This movie is beautiful. Star Wars cinematography is amazing. And this is the best of the best.
7b. Choreography - 10/10
The fights in this are the best in every movie ever. The Mustafar scene alone is single handedly the best fight of all time. It is all very fast paced, and full of emotion. The shots are filmed very wide too, so you see the entirety of the fights, and all the amazing choreography.
8. Score - 10/10
Star Wars has the best music. And this is the best of it. The music is so powerful, deep, and meaningful. It is very epic to watch.
9. Editing / Pace - 10/10
I love the classic Star Wars editing. The pace is also great, and we see the complete journey all the characters go on.
10. VFX/Practical Effects - 10/10
The effects look phenomenal in this. It's amazing to me that it looks better than a lot of much more modern films.
Average Score:
9.9/10
My Overall Rating and Final Thoughts:
10/10
I only rate my top ten movies a ten out of ten. That is how good this movie is. This is the best of the best. Star Wars is my favorite franchise aside from Jurassic Park, and this is the peak of Star Wars. The storytelling is phenomenal.
Ant-Man (2015)
Ant-Man - 9.3/10
1. Overall Plot - 10/10
I love how Scott Lang is just a nobody, and Hank Pym chooses him to be Ant-Man to help him. It is very good. I enjoy how he just wants to be a better person and be with his daughter.
2. Entertainment / Engagement - 10/10
This movie is a very entertaining and enjoyable watch. The humor take to it is done very well with Paul Rudd. The action scenes are very cool to watch. And how and why Scott becomes Ant-Man is cool.
3. Emotion / Investment in Story - 10/10
There is actually a ton of emotion driving this movie. The whole reason Scott does what he does is because he wants to be a better person, and be with his family.
Watching Scott just try his best and wanting to just see his daughter gets you heavily invested in the story, and for it to have a happy ending.
4. Theme and Depth of Story - 10/10
I think the theme of this one is doing things for the people you love. A quote from this I love that shows the theme well is, "It's not about saving our world. It's about saving theirs." - Hank Pym.
This movie goes pretty deep with Scott's relations with other characters.
5. Characters - 9/10
I love almost all the characters in this. Scott Lang is great and instantly iconic. Hank Pym is done very well. Hope is just a bit annoying sometimes, but is generally a good character. The villain is kind of weird. Not bad, but just not my absolute favorite. He just seems too crazy and murderous for no real good reason. I also absolutely love the comeo of some pre established characters. It is a very cool scene.
I also love the side characters like Luis. They are all very funny.
6. Acting / Writing - 10/10
All the actors are great. I absolutely love Paul Rudd as Scott Lang. He is phenomenal. All the other actors are great in their roles. Paul Rudd makes this movie so freakin enjoyable.
7. Cinematography - 8/10
Nothing special, but still good. I do really like how the shrunken scenes were filmed.
8. Score - 6/10
Good, but nothing crazy. Pretty forgettable.
9. Editing / Pace - 10/10
I love how the shrunken scenes are edited. And how it looks when he shrinks. It's very cool.
The pacing feels just right. I like how they show him training to be Ant-Man.
10. VFX/Practical Effects - 10/10
No complaints. Everything looks real and great. I especially love how it looks when he changes size, or when he is small.
Average Score:
9.3/10
My Overall Rating and Final Thoughts:
9.3/10
I really love this movie. It is among my favorite MCU movies. Paul Rudd is absolutely perfect to be Scott Lang. His take on the character is amazing. I love how this movie has some humor to it. It is very enjoyable.
Batman Forever (1995)
Batman Forever - 3.8/10
1. Overall Plot - 7/10
The idea of the plot of this movie is pretty cool. Riddler and Two-Face teaming up is a cool idea, and a nice antagonist against Batman. Also, including and introducing Robin is a cool idea to see.
They went for a much more lighthearted take on Batman for this one, compared to the Tim Burton films, and that is part of why it didn't do very well. I personally also don't enjoy the lighter tone to it. The darker feel works better for these movies.
2. Entertainment / Engagement - 3/10
Just a pretty boring movie. It has some super cringey parts that ruin any entertainment you might be having.
You are left wondering how much time is left the whole movie.
3. Emotion / Investment in Story - 7/10
There is actually a lot of emotion in this movie. It goes into how Bruce Wayne felt after killing the person who killed his parents. We see why he takes in Dick Grayson, and how he becomes Robin.
Nothing gets you invested. Robin is cool to see, but the way his character is in this is kind of dumb, so you don't really care about it.
4. Theme and Depth of Story - 8/10
The theme of this one is revenge. The whole plot with Dick Grayson becoming Robin and trying to get revenge is cool. Batman teaches him how to deal with his pain. It is a cool theme to see all the characters go through.
This movie seems shallow at first, but is actually pretty deep. I think the best part of this movie is seeing how Bruce Wayne has developed with dealing with his parents death.
5. Characters - 2/10
There are some good characters in this, but they get ruined. Two-Face acts more like a Joker knockoff than a cool crime boss. He is just much too crazy. Riddler has some aspects that are perfect, but some that are terrible. He is just too weird and crazy, which makes him feel like an idiot. Robin isn't a kid, which changes everything about his character. He also seems to much like a "cool biker greaser kid". It is just stupid to see.
6. Acting / Writing - 1/10
Val Kilmer as Batman isn't very good. He is like a great value Micheal Keaton. He isn't terrible, but not good either. He just is pretty dull and doesn't show much emotion. Tommy Lee Jones didn't do good as Harvey Dent either. He is much to crazy, and just feels like a reskined Joker. Jim Carrey Riddler is awful. It hurts to watch. He is so annoying and cringey. He takes a character that could have been perfect, and shoves it in a blender. Batman and Robin's suits are also stupid. Adding a nipple for no reason is just ugly.
The writing is very cheesy.
7. Cinematography - 3/10
It had some awful shots. It is dark, but that's not what ruins it. Just the way the camera is set up in most of the film feels cheap. Like it was made by a highschooler.
8. Score - 4/10
They didn't use the iconic Batman theme in this. Instead they use new original music. It is just incredibly forgettable and barely even plays in the film.
9. Editing / Pace - 2/10
Different shots are edited together terribly. Looks very cheap, and gives off ugly vibes.
The pacing is also bad. It feels like this movie drags on forever.
10. VFX/Practical Effects - 7/10
Honestly pretty good. Nothing looked super bad or cheesy. Other than maybe Two-Faces face. Or the Brain sucking machine thing.
Average Score:
4.4/10
My Overall Rating and Final Thoughts:
3.8/10
This movie has the story, and potential to be amazing. But it just isn't. The way the characters are handled is terrible. I do absolutely love how deep it is with how Bruce Wayne has dealt with his parents death, and with killing Joker, who killed his parents.
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Avengers: Age of Ultron - 9.2/10
1. Overall Plot - 10/10
This is really the only movie that we see the Avengers all together for the entire movie. I love how they are the cause of Ultron. He is a very cool villain. And the introduction of Quick Silver and Scarlett Witch is very cool. It is full of action packed exciting scenes, and great plot points.
2. Entertainment / Engagement - 10/10
This movie is very entertaining. Watching all the Avengers interact as a team for the whole movie was fun to watch.
3. Emotion / Investment in Story - 4/10
There isn't anything emotional in this. They try very hard to push some Natasha and Bruce emotions together, but it comes out as very cringey. You do gain some attachment which causes some emotions.
4. Theme and Depth of Story - 8/10
The theme of this one is trust and teamwork. When they don't tell each other everything they kind of fall apart. And they have to learn to trust each other to defeat the threat.
5. Characters - 10/10
Ultron is very cool. He is a great villain. And Tony creating him is very cool. The introduction of Vision is cool too. And they handled it very well. The Maximoff twins are cool. They couldn't do it super accurate to the comics due to rights at the time, but they did a great job with it nonetheless.
6. Acting / Writing - 9/10
All the actors were great. No complaints. Ultron's voice actor was great for him. And I love Aaron-Taylor Johnson as Quicksilver. He did so good, and I wish we got more of him. What is keeping this from being a ten is Mark Ruffalo and Scarlett Johansson. They are both just very cheesy and not very good in this.
7. Cinematography - 10/10
This movie is noticeably beautiful. It has lots of cool shots that are filmed amazingly.
8. Score - 10/10
The Avengers music is awesome.
9. Editing / Pace - 10/10
Good editing and pacing.
10. VFX/Practical Effects - 8/10
Pretty good for the most part. There was a few parts, mostly at the beginning, that the the CGI looked kind of cheesy.
Average Score:
8.9/10
My Overall Rating and Final Thoughts:
9.2/10
I love seeing all the Avengers working together as a pre established team. It is very entertaining to watch them interact with each other.
Batman Returns (1992)
Batman Returns - 6.9/10
1. Overall Plot - 5/10
The plot is a bit all over the place. I like having Penguin as the villain, because he is a very unique character. But the Penguin just kind of comes out of no where, and is just a bit forced. Catwoman is a good character for Batman, but it feels very out of place. Almost a bit random.
2. Entertainment / Engagement - 7/10
The movie itself is kind of boring, and not the most entertaining. But being a fan of Batman, and loving his classic characters like Penguin, and Catwoman, help a lot. I barely remember this movie from the first time I watched it, so it was pretty entertaining to watch it again.
3. Emotion / Investment in Story - 4/10
Not too much emotion to care about. The characters themselves have lots of emotion to them, but it's nothing that gets you invested in the emotional side of the story.
4. Theme and Depth of Story - 7/10
Duality is a big theme in this. With Batman and Bruce Wayne. Catwoman and Selina Kyle. And Penguin and Oswald Cobblepot. Each character goes through having to deal with both sides of their split lives.
That being said, I don't think this movie is super deep. Everything happens so rapidly that it doesn't have enough time to sink deep. Bruce Wayne's split life with Batman is pretty deep still, and there's a few quotes that I like that show this. Like "Genius costume. Let me guess, trust fun goodie goodie." Because Bruce Wayne is the real mask.
5. Characters - 5/10
I really like the characters of Penguin and Catwoman. But they aren't portrayed the best in this. Penguin is pretty good, but he is kind of dumb. I like when Penguin is smarter and an actual crime boss. Catwoman is super weird in this. Her whole story of becoming Catwoman feels very forced and doesn't really make any sense. She feels to crazy crazy, instead of a super smart thief. She also isn't even really a thief at all in this.
Max Shreck is also just not someone to care about at all. And he is honestly pretty cheesy.
6. Acting / Writing - 6/10
Micheal Keaton as Batman is great. Danny DeVito is great as Penguin. He really shows the penguin side of him.
Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman is pretty bad. She just doesn't fit the character, and feels way to crazy.
The writing is pretty decent. I love how a lot of the dialog eludes to the duality of Bruce Wane and Batman.
7. Cinematography - 5/10
Nothing special or bad. Just a dark movie. But that isn't too terrible because it is a Batman movie after all.
8. Score - 8/10
Still has great music. Not as good as the first one though because they don't use the great main theme as much. The music just feels a bit more bland.
9. Editing / Pace - 4/10
This movie has poor pacing. It does too much with Penguin just being crazy. And too much Max Shreck, because he's just a dumb character. The Catwoman scenes are also way too long and boring.
10. VFX/Practical Effects - 10/10
The effects in this are super good. Other than it being an older movie. Nothing at all looked bad or cheesy.
Average Score:
6.1/10
My Overall Rating and Final Thoughts:
6.9/10
I really like Penguin as the villain. Especially because this is the only film where he is the main villain. Danny DeVito is a great amd iconic Penguin. I like the idea of Catwoman, but I don't think she was executed well in this. She just seems too crazy instead of a smart thief.
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Guardians of the Galaxy - 9/10
1. Overall Plot - 10/10
I love how this is an origin story. Seeing how a bunch of very different people end up working together and forming the Guardians is very cool. I love how we see their bonds form with each other. Exploring random characters out in space, that has nothing to do with the former MCU is unique, but it works great.
2. Entertainment / Engagement - 10/10
This movie is very enjoyable. The more humorous take to it works very well with this film.
This movie is more unique to the prior MCU, but they do it in a way that keeps you wanting more, and it's very entertaining.
3. Emotion / Investment in Story - 10/10
This movie is absolutely full of emotion. Every character has their own stories and reasons for doing the things they are doing. Every single character goes through their own emotional journey in this movie. That's hard to do with 5 main characters, so it's impressive how well they did it.
4. Theme and Depth of Story - 10/10
The theme of this is love and family. We see this with every character. The whole premise of the movie is the characters coming together and forming their family with each other.
Each character is very deep and has a clearly deep background. Even though we don't completely explore the backgrounds of every character yet in this film, it is still very good how much we learn.
5. Characters - 10/10
I love all the characters in this. They are all done very well. I also think this is the best we've seen all the Guardians in the MCU. Their characters are all perfect, and have a great dynamic with each other.
I particularly love Rocket and Groot in this. And I love how we get to see Star-Lord be a smart, cunning, and quippy leader.
6. Acting / Writing - 10/10
All of the actors do great. I have no complaints. I love Chris Pratt as Star-Lord. He portrays this version of the character very well. Watching this cast all interact with each others characters is very enjoyable.
7. Cinematography - 6/10
Majority of this movie is very dark. And I like bright and vibrant movies better. But I do love the big establishing shots. They are very grand, and shows the beauty of the universe.
8. Score - 10/10
This movie has the best soundtrack in the entire MCU. It is full of classics, and leaves you wanting to listen to all the music again.
9. Editing / Pace - 8/10
Nothing special in the editing. I love how the ship scenes are edited to make them more fast paced.
The pacing is good, but not perfect. With the introduction of 5 main characters, there is a lot to cover. To much to completely cover in one movie. But I do think they cover each person very well. It is just going to be naturally a little bit rushed. But it is still very good.
10. VFX/Practical Effects - 8/10
Some of the effects were kind of noticeable. Just little things throughout that looked a bit fake.
But a lot of the effects were phenomenal. Groot, and Rocket look completely real.
Average Score:
9.2/10
My Overall Rating and Final Thoughts:
9/10
I really enjoy watching this movie. The more humorous take works perfectly for these characters and actors. It is cool to watch random characters out in space that is separate from what we've seen in the MCU so far.
Batman (1989)
Batman - 7.4/10
7.4/10
1. Overall Plot - 7/10
I love how this movie is just Joker being crazy, and Batman trying to stop him. It is the classic Batman story. The addition of Vicki Vale gives the story more depth, and more of a base.
2. Entertainment / Engagement - 5/10
This movie isn't super entertaining. And it feels old. But seeing the classic Joker versus Batman is pretty cool.
Joker just being an absolutely insane person is pretty engaging to watch, cause he's just crazy. It is the perfect vibes to who the Joker is.
3. Emotion / Investment in Story - 6/10
There isn't a ton emotionally. All the characters feel pre established so we don't get to feel the emotion of there back story as much. But we learn a bit about why Bruce Wayne is the Batman, and some of it hits pretty hard.
I did get a bit more invested in the story, because the classic Batman Vs Joker is so good to watch.
4. Theme and Depth of Story - 7/10
The theme for this one is simply just the classic Batman versus Joker story. This movie is revolutionary to the Batman character. The Animated series is based off this movie, and that is the basis for the perfect Batman.
This movie gets pretty deep with why Batman wants to defeat the Joker. I really like how they interact and learn about each other.
5. Characters - 10/10
All of the characters are absolutely perfect in this movie. It is what makes it standout so much.
Batman actually being violent and killing people is so cool. I enjoy that a lot. It isn't necessarily completely true to the Batman character in everything, as he has his "no killing" rule. But there is plenty of versions, especially in the comics, where Batman kills. Especially in his early days.
Bruce Wayne is good in this too. He is rich, but not a snob about it like other Bruce Wayne's we've seen. And he does some pretty cool detective work.
I love Joker in this. It is what inspired the Animated Series Joker, and is a basis for what the Joker character is today. I love how he is just crazy, and doesn't care about anything.
6. Acting / Writing - 8/10
Some of the acting may seem a bit shallow, but I think that it is more of just the films age showing. There isn't really anyone who was bad at acting in this at all. Micheal Keaton's Batman is unique. Jack Nicholson's Joker is very good. He may not be as scary crazy as Heath Ledger, but he is way more mad crazy. I love how insane he is and it while watching his scenes it almost doesn't make sense what he is doing, because he is so crazy. In a good way though.
I love Joker's dialog. It fits the character perfectly. The writing for him is great. And the interactions between him and Batman are very classic.
7. Cinematography - 4/10
This movie is pretty old. And because it's set in Gotham City, it is very dark and rainy the whole time. The shots are nothing special and feel pretty boring.
8. Score - 10/10
This score is very iconic. It is the best Batman music we've had. It is still regarded as the Batman theme today. I love how the Animated Series music is based off of this.
It is also very nostalgic to me because I grew up playing the Lego Batman games, and they use the music from this film.
9. Editing / Pace - 5/10
The editing is nothing special, but I also have no complaints about it. It is an older film, and it does feel that way, but that's fine. I do love how they would frame Batman to try and make him more menacing.
The pace is average. I think it could have been better. They could have spent less time on some side characters, and more time on the main characters.
10. VFX/Practical Effects - 4/10
There was only a few times where the effects were noticeably bad. Most of the time they felt ok. But it is still an old film, and watching it today you see that. A lot of the effects made scenes that could have had a lot more of a Batman vibe to them were ruined because of how cheesy some of it was.
Average Score:
6.6/10
My Overall Rating and Final Thoughts:
7.4/10
This movie is what established the Batman character as we've seen him today. With it inspiring the Animated Series, which is the perfect adaptation of Batman. It also has the perfect classic Batman versus Joker story. I love the Joker in this for how crazy he is, which no doubt inspired the future of the character.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier - 9.9/10
1. Overall Plot - 10/10
This movie is very well done. The story is as good as it gets. It is one of the most intriguing and well done Marvel films ever. This movie is very impactful on the overall MCU. We get to see how Steve has adapted to his new life, and how he deals with his new challenges. His character, along with all the others in the film, go through tons of great development.
2. Entertainment / Engagement - 10/10
This movie is full of action. And the story is super cool to watch it all unfold.
3. Emotion / Investment in Story - 10/10
Steve Rogers past coming back is very cool, and absolutely full of emotion. The emotion in this movie is very grand. It affect the universe as a whole. And every character goes through their own emotional journey.
The story makes and keeps you super invested the whole time. It is very entertaining.
4. Theme and Depth of Story - 10/10
This movie is full of fantastic themes. I think the best one is to stand up in what you believe. It is what the Captain America character is all about, and this movie shows that attribute perfectly.
This is one of the deepest MCU movies. It explores so many great things about the characters, history, and different great comic story lines.
5. Characters - 10/10
All of the characters are fantastic. I think this is the best we've seen Captain America, Black Widow, and Nick Fury.
I absolutely love the introduction of Sam Wilson as Falcon. They nailed it, and it really couldn't be better. I love the brotherhood he develops with Steve.
The Winter Soldiers introduction is very, very cool. It is perfect in every way. The way you learn more about him throughout the film is awesome. And it sets up some amazing story lines for future films.
6. Acting / Writing - 10/10
Zero complaints on the acting at all. I think this is the best Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, and Samuel L. Jackson have been in the MCU. Anthony Mackie did fantastic as Sam Wilson.
The writing in this is the best in the MCU. It shows off just how big of a deal this movie is. And shows Captain America's character perfectly.
7a. Cinematography - 8/10
Nothing super special or mind blowing. But still super good. I do love the way they do the flashbacks.
7b. Choreography - 10/10
This has my favorite fight scenes in the MCU. The fighting is done very fast and very well. It is very entertaining to watch. The Winter Soldier in particular has some very cool moves while he fighting.
8. Score - 9/10
Captain America music is super good. And this movie delivers on that. The music for Winter Soldier is super good. It is on Hans Zimmer level. It has the same vibes as The Dark Knight trilogy score.
9. Editing / Pace - 10/10
The editing is very good. I especially love how they make it feel much more serious. And any flashback scenes are edited very well.
The pacing is perfect. It gives the right amount of time to set up and keep you invested in the story. I love how much action this movie has. And they do a great job making it not feel rushed, with action scene after action scene.
10. VFX/Practical Effects - 10/10
This whole movie feels very real. There isn't anything that even feels like special effects. That is probably because there is a lot more practical and less CGI.
Average Score:
9.7/10
My Overall Rating and Final Thoughts:
9.9/10
This was my favorite Marvel movie until Spider-Man No Way Home. And it honestly still might be. It takes one of the best Marvel comic heroes, and displays him perfectly in this movie. The action scenes in this are the best we've seen. And everything to do with Shield is just very cool to watch.
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Thor: The Dark World - 6.3/10
1. Overall Plot - 3/10
Focusing a lot more on Jane Foster in this is what killed it for me. It's just not anything exciting that makes you care about it. And the idea of Jane finding the Aether is just stupid and unbelievable. This plot is very forgettable.
I really love how we get to see Thor and Loki working together. They're dynamic is super entertaining to watch.
2. Entertainment / Engagement - 5/10
The overall plot is super boring and not entertaining at all. The big fight scenes also aren't that cool and entertaining. The last fight has some very interesting stuff to watch with all of the portal things.
But Thor and Loki working together is very entertaining to watch, and I enjoy that bit a lot. I also enjoyed watching Thor interact with all the other characters, since they've all been previously introduced.
3. Emotion / Investment in Story - 6/10
We see a lot of emotion in this. All if the characters relationships with each other are developed a lot in this movie.
The story kind of coming out of no where and not really being believable makes it hard to get invested in it, even a little bit.
4. Theme and Depth of Story - 4/10
I really couldn't think of a good theme in this one. Maybe just Thor's relationships with other people. Jane Foster especially.
The movie as a whole isn't very deep. But there is a lot of depth with Loki and his relationship with Thor. And also they develop Thor and Jane's relationship a lot more.
5. Characters - 6/10
I love how they gave Loki more of a role in this. His character is very intriguing. I also enjoyed how they gave the warriors three more screen time. They are very cool characters. I also love how we get more Heimdall in this movie. He is a very cool character.
Jane Foster is just not anyone to care for. And Darcy is even more annoying. I also think they ruined the character of Erik Selvig. It does make a little sense why, but not completely. Because Clint Barton is just fine after being controlled by Loki. But to be fair, Selvig was a being controlled a lot longer.
6. Acting / Writing - 9/10
All the acting is very good. Especially Tom Hiddleston as Loki. He is very good. I also love how Zachary Levi is in this film as Fandral. And wish we got more of him. And Natalie Portman is pretty mediocre.
7. Cinematography - 6/10
There were some very cool shots in this that I actually really liked. And the big, grand shots of Asgard are very cool.
I just don't like how dark this film is. The whole film just feels cloudy, which makes it less entertaining to watch.
8. Score - 10/10
I really enjoyed the music in this. It was really good. It sounded very similar to the music in Avengers. It has a very epic feel to it.
9. Editing / Pace - 8/10
The editing is very good. Especially the last fight scene. It is edited in a very cool and entertaining way.
The pacing is OK. It is already a shorter movie, but at times feels like it is dragging on.
10. VFX/Practical Effects - 7/10
Pretty good but not perfect. Only a few times when Thor was flying, or the Aether that it didn't look very good.
Average Score:
6.4/10
My Overall Rating and Final Thoughts:
6.3/10
Bringing the Aether in this way with Jane Foster is just dumb. Especially for how important it becomes. I love the Loki, Thor dynamic that we see. This movie is just very very forgettable.
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace - 2/10
1. Overall Plot - 2/10
The plot for this movie is all over the place. At times it feels like there isn't even a story happening at all. The setup is absolutely terrible, and really just doesn't make sense. I do like how they brought Lex Luthor back, because he is the best Superman villain.
2. Entertainment / Engagement - 2/10
The only thing that even kept me awake during this is that I barely remembered it. So it was like watching it for the first time. This movie is only an hour and a half long, but feels longer than that.
The story is also just kind of dumb, so it's hard to even care about what is going on.
3. Emotion / Investment in Story - 1/10
Feels like there is nothing emotional in this movie. Other than it being interesting to see Superman get sick, and how he acts when he is sick.
The little amount of plot that there is, is nothing to even care about. The way that the story itself isn't really explained, or make sense doesn't help with this either.
4. Theme and Depth of Story - 4/10
The theme of this one is that you can't force people to do things, or world peace. Another theme is greed. Greed will make some people do anything for money.
This movie isn't deep at all. Nothing really has any meaning to it, and the film kind of just goes through the motions.
5. Characters - 5/10
I love how they brought back Lex Luthor. He is the best nemesis of Superman. Nuclear Man is just dumb, and they didn't really explain anything about how he was created. I like how they included another "love interest" for Clark. It gives a different perspective than what we've seen so far.
Lois Lane is just as if not more annoying in this one again. Clark Kent feels less like Clark in this. He just doesn't have the same Christopher Reeve flare to it.
They also decided to give Superman random extra powers again, like they did with the second film. And that's just dumb.
6. Acting / Writing - 4/10
There really isn't any good actors in this. Even Christopher Reeve, who has been phenomenal in the other movies, just isn't very good in this one. Gene Hackman is also not as good as Luthor as he was in the past.
But besides Margot Kidder as Lois, none of the actors are terrible. Just not very good.
7. Cinematography - 3/10
It almost feels like watching photoshop or a powerpoint. This movie feels older than the previous 3, which is just not good.
8. Score - 5/10
The music in this doesn't even sound like a Superman film. They have the original theme a couple of times, but that's really it. Other than that, the music is boring and incredibly average.
9. Editing / Pace - 1/10
It feels edited like a powerpoint.
The pacing is terrible. It is already a short movie, but feels too long. Because it's short they don't actually explain anything, it all kind of just happens.
10. VFX/Practical Effects - 0/10
Literally looks like something a teenager would do in photoshop. I don't understand how it is the newest of the Christopher Reeve Superman films, but looks the worst.
A lot of things, whenever objects move on screen, like Superman flying is just a 2D image being dragged across the screen. It's pretty laughable to be honest.
Average Score:
2.7/10
My Overall Rating and Final Thoughts:
2/10
This movie is bad. It just is. It really sucks that this is the last time we see Christopher Reeve as Superman. He was so legendary, and there hasn't been, and never will be a Superman and Clark Kent like his. I also found it funny how similar Megamind is to this movie. The plot is basically the same.
Avatar: The Last Airbender (2024)
Avatar: The Last Airbender (Season 1) - 8.7/10
1. Overall Plot - 9/10
The overall plot is pretty much the same from the cartoon. Little story details get changed or moved around, but nothing in a way that ruins it. It is all still very good.
They don't mention sozins comet as the time frame for the show like the cartoon does. This is because they have to account for the actors aging. So it's OK because there is a legit reason to do it.
2. Entertainment / Engagement - 9/10
The whole show is very entertaining. The first episode is a bit boring and cheesy. But with every episode it just gets better and better.
Because it's the same overall story, so you know the outcome, but some of the details are changed, it's still engaging to watch, because it's still something new and fresh.
3. Emotion / Investment in Story - 8/10
Zuko carries the emotion in this. His development, and how we learn and sympathize with his character is so good. They did a great job bringing his character into live action.
Other characters do a good job showing their emotions, but nothing really makes you feel to much for them as much as Zuko.
Because of the things they change, it keeps you heavily invested, even knowing the outcome. Which I thing is great to keep people watching and wanting more.
4. Theme and Depth of Story - 9/10
I'd say the theme of this season is determination and accepting who you are. We see this with almost all the main characters as they develop.
This story is super deep. Especially with Zuko. There is a lot to learn, and I'm excited about the future seasons.
5. Characters - 8/10
They nailed most of the characters. Something to keep in mind with the characters is that this live action version isn't a kids show like the cartoon, so the characters are gonna inevitably be a little different. Azula was introduced early on in the season and plays a small part in the plot. This is a change from the cartoon, as she didn't appear until the last episode of the season. But I think they did a good job with it.
There's really only three problems I have with the characters. The first is Sokka. His character is by far the most different. He is a lot more serious, and makes a ton less jokes. But that is also part of it not being a kids show so I don't think it's terrible. And he still has his Sokka moments. I also wish he used his boomerang more since it's part of his iconic character.
The next is Admiral / Commander Zhao. His character is completely different. I think it's just the way the actor plays it, but he has a completely different demeanor to him. It is also changed a bit because he works with Azula, which doesn't happen in the cartoon. Keep in mind, that just because his character is changed a bit, doesn't mean it is bad. I still enjoyed it.
The third change I noticed was pretty small. It's with Aang. He spends most of the season not wanting to accept that he's the Avatar, or complaining that he failed ad the Avatar. While in the cartoon he just gets over it a lot sooner.
6. Acting / Writing - 6/10
Most the actors do good, but not great. They don't do anything bad, but just don't do anything spectacular either.
I actually think Zuko's actor nailed him. It might seem like he complains and whines too much, but that is how Zuko started out. He is just a moody teenager after all.
All the writing was pretty good. There was a few cringy and cheesy parts, but that was really only in the first few episodes.
7a. Cinematography - 4/10
The usual Netflix cinematography. They just make everything so dark and grainy. And I hate that. Some scenes look to bland, while others look to busy as well.
The characters outfits look too new as well. Sometimes they just look out of place and too cartoony for the vibe of the show.
7b. Choreography - 10/10
I'm adding this as a separate section because of how good it was. All of the bending looks freakin sick. I think they made it look as good as it can get. Especially when compared to the crappy bending in the movie.
8. Score - 9/10
I love how they brought a lot of the original music back. The score of the cartoon is perfect and amazing. I just wish they used it a little bit more, and less of the new music. The new music is still good though.
9. Editing / Pace - 9/10
They did a great job editing this. All of the fights are edited good, and feel intense. There is also some very cool transitional shots that I loved.
The pace is also very great. Because it's a live action, you cannot pace it the same as a cartoon. It just doesn't work. But they didn't cut anything you wouldn't want them too. This show feels like it was made by people who love the cartoon. So the pacing is great.
10. VFX/Practical Effects - 8/10
All of the special effects are super good. All of the bending looks super real and cool.
The only thing that is noticeably bad is when Aang is in the Avatar State. They do some closeup shots of his face, and the CGI looks bad. It honestly looks like a videogame cutscene. But that's because it's a Netflix show, so it doesn't have the highest budget ever.
Average Score:
8.1/10
My Overall Rating and Final Thoughts:
8.7/10
I actually really liked this show. I think they did a good job of remaking it. If you think of it as a live action version of the cartoon, it's going to suck, and you'll hate it. But if you think of it as a fan that remade the series using all the same plot points and details in live action, then it is great. I am fine with how it is changed and in a bit of a different order from the original. At first I didn't like it, but then it got better. Episodes 4, 5, and 6 are so freakin good. If you like the cartoon then definitely give this a watch. Just have an open mind about it, because nothing will ever be as good as the original. And even if you don't like it at first, keep watching. It gets so much better.