Thoughts on Coco

Coco is a beautiful movie. The story is remarkably colorful and showcases great songs with fun and well developed characters. The message is sweet and the animation is stunning. The authenticity towards the Mexican Day of the Dead celebration is wonderful and showcases a lovely aspect of the culture. See it if you get a chance. Just bring a tissue or two.

Thoughts on Murder On The Orient Express

Murder on the Orient Express is a damn good movie. The cast is a whose who of talented individuals that make the film very entertaining. The mystery is well developed and the Hercule Poirot character is fascinating to watch. Even on a thematic level this movie does well by creating a clever story arc. Anyone interested in a 1930s murder mystery from a classic story will enjoy this update. The cast is charming and makes for an enjoyable watch

Thoughts on A Wrinkle in Time

A Wrinkle in Time is a forgettable movie. With decent actors phoning in lazy performances it is easy to simply not care about the events unfolding. With loads of CG the movie comes off as all spectacle with no substance. A lot happens inexplicably and the lack of character development and chemistry among them really makes this a dull watch. I wouldn’t bother watching this unless you are a huge fan of the book. Then you can add disappointment to the boredom you feel.

Thoughts on I, Tonya

I, Tonya is a really good movie. It features great acting, a solid story, and a fantastic soundtrack. The use of CG was sometimes a bit jaring, but that is nitpicking. The choice to make it more of a dark comedy then straight drama is a entertaining decision.  It showcases a lot of talented performances and makes it obvious why this movie was a serious contender for the Oscars. It is worth checking out for anyone who has interest in dark true-ish stories.

Thoughts on Annihilation

Annihilation is a really thought provoking movie. With good acting, amazing visuals, and a creepy and haunting story. The film seems to be a metaphor for cancer and the way it changes life on a cellular level. The cinematography is pretty breathtaking and has a dream like quality reminiscent of the card art from Magic: the Gathering. I recommend it for scifi fans who are looking for a more cerebral movie. It is a mysterious film that is worth checking out.

Thoughts on Swamp Zombies

Swamp Zombies is pretty awful. Granted the fight scenes involve real stunts by the actors but that  doesn’t make a watchable film. The script is simple, the acting is bad, and the editing is a wretched mess. Even the sountrack seems wildly inappropriate for the scenes. If you are a fan of cheesy movies it will kill some time. It is an amateur movie at best and at worst some glorious schlock.

Thoughts on Jigsaw

Jigsaw feels like a last gasp of the torture porn era of horror films. A herd of characters who are despicable try to prevent a horrid death that they all completely deserve. It’s still trying to be clever but instead it comes off as a dead horse getting beaten to a pulp. Too much stupidity and not enough substance to make it worth a damn. If I hadn’t seen the other films I never would have bothered with this at all. It brings nothing new to the table and doesn’t even attempt to revive the genre. Instead it’s the same story with twists that can’t live up to the first movie.

Thoughts on Veronica

Veronica is a Spanish horror movie about a teenage girl who experiments with the occult and summons a dark entity. Supposedly it is a crime that Spanish police actually reported as paranormal. It is visually very well made and the acting is good. There are a lot of aspects that seem cliche but it works well enough. The ending is sort of abrupt but the visuals make it memorable. It’s worth checking out for horror fans.

Thoughts on Professor Marston and the Wonder Women

Professor Marston and the Wonder Women is the story of the creator of Wonder Woman and his polyamorous relationship. The acting is fine but the story is a touch on the dull side. It doesn’t have any real conflict to center around. As a whole, it’s a fine movie on an interesting subject but it isn’t executed in such a way to make it gripping. It’s worth a rental if you have an interest but otherwise it is nothing spectacular.