Whenever I told people that I had never seen it they always sounded so surprised, and now that I’ve watched it I understand why. This was such a good movie. The acting was great, the writing was great, and it had such a sweet ending.
I have to begin by commenting on how good the casting was and how talented the actors were. First of all, Robin Williams is AMAZING. I love his acting, especially when he plays parts like these where he serves as the wise mentor character (another movie shoutout where he plays a similar role is The Dead Poet’s Society - this is one of my favorite movies!). When I saw that the screenplay was written by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck who played the lead and one of the main supporting characters while they were in their twenties is just awesome. It made me wonder how they decided who was going to be which character though - did they both audition for the lead? The story itself is touching as you see a Will Hunting, a young guy who is dirt poor but is a genius at math and chemistry work through his problems with the help of forced counselling sessions with a therapist named Sean Maguire. The storyline is also believable because Hunting has a tough time accepting anyone into his life past a certain point because he doesn’t want to be abandoned again. It encompasses very real problems that exist in our society today - domestic abuse and the lifelong effect it has on children, the greed of big companies, and the importance of a happy life over a successful career. Another thing that I loved about the movie was the scene between Hunting and Maguire when he is telling the story about how his deceased wife used to fart in her sleep so loudly that she woke the dog up, and both of the men can’t contain their laughter. The scene is funny by itself, but what really got me was the fact that it was improvised - Robin Williams came up with that on the spot and so Matt Damon’s laughter is completely genuine. The whole movie is worth watching just to see that scene. To be completely honest I don’t really have anything bad to say about the movie. One thing is that there is a lot of crude language and jokes, so if you’re sensitive to those kinds of things than this might not be the best movie to watch. Also, I thought that the ending was predictable but Maguire’s comment about how Hunting “stole his line” made it more satisfactory. I would most definitely recommend watching this movie because it is such a feel-good movie and I think that everyone needs to see it at least once in their lifetime. I thought that this movie was amazing. First of all, I love the Harry Potter series and J.K Rowling. I enjoyed the movies, but I thought that this movie was either just as good or better than the movies. There are so many things that were great about the movie, this is going to be a very one-sided review.
The animation was absolutely beautiful and the storyline was well done too. The character development was really well done. I absolutely adore Eddie Redmayne as an actor and I think he did such a good job playing Newt, the lovable but cringingly awkward wizard. Also, the dynamic of the relationships was so cute. I loved Queenie’s character and how she seemed like a ditzy character, yet she was the one who saved Newt’s suitcase with all the mythological creatures. The writing and the acting did such an amazing job at creating characters that were likeable, yet they each had their own flaws too, which made them more believable. I thought that it was a good choice to have the “no-maj” so involved in the events, which is something unique about the movie since in the Harry Potter books there wasn’t anyone involved in the wizarding world who wasn’t born a wizard or didn’t have magic. As I love animals anyway, it was so fun to see all the magical creatures in Newt’s suitcase. You can tell there was so much creativity put into those scenes, I can’t even begin to explain how awestruck I was watching it for the first time and I can’t imagine how long it took to produce. Also, I loved the chemistry between the characters. It was so adorable to watch the ending scene with Newt and Porpentina saying goodbye but awkwardly promising to see each other again, and I loved watching Queenie and Jacob Kowalski be so infatuated with each other’s lives. I’m glad that they saw each other again at the end of the movie and it was so sweet that Newt gave Kowalski the silver so that he could open his own bakery. Also, one of the best parts about this movie is that you know at the end that there will be another movie coming out that continues the story. Something that I was confused about was I never quite grasped what an Obscurus was, and how it could exist outside of a person and how the one in Newt’s suitcase did not try to take over him. Also, the ending was pretty confusing how Graves turned into Gellert Grindelwald. The situation wasn’t confusing, but Grindelwald's whole character was because I felt like they didn’t do a great job explaining who he was. I would’ve liked a bit more of an introduction to Newt’s character as well and what his background in England was. I’m also still debating whether I like American terminology (but of course the original British ones are the best by far). And, I would have liked it if there was more overlap between the magical beasts in this movie and some of the creatures in the Harry Potter books (like hippogryphs!). I have to admit I haven’t actually read the book, which is basically a sin but I think that since it isn’t a part of the original HP series it doesn’t count as much. With all that said, I definitely recommend watching this movie even if you know nothing about Harry Potter because I think that it is good just by itself (although having background information was pretty useful in catching some of the confusing parts about why Newt was in trouble). I usually don’t like watching horror movies, but this one was good. Also, this was the first time I had watched an actually scary movie in theaters, and I was not disappointed. It was not as bad as I was expecting, but I hate clowns and definitely had to watch through squinted eyes for part of the time. I have to say though, the fact that they came out with this one 27 years after the first movie (which is the same amount of time between each appearance of the clown).
What impressed me the most about this movie was that it actually had a good plot. I started the movie thinking that it would be like most horror/thriller films that were just made for the gore or jump scares, but I really liked the story. I liked how the story was based around a group of kids who actually had some sense and that they didn’t go mindlessly find the danger, but actually had good reason to be out wandering and ended up confronting It because they wanted to get rid of it and avenge all the kids It had killed. I thought that they did a really good job with the introduction of each character and their backgrounds to show what each of their fears were. Also, I enjoyed the fact that all the kids had their own very distinct personalities that stuck with them the entire time. The Richie Tozier character was hilarious and I am glad that they had someone in the movie for comic relief whose personality was just super sarcastic and crude for his age, because the comic relief was necessary to calm everyone down. My all-time favorite character though was definitely Eddie Kaspbrak who was a total germaphobe and was led to believe that he had a “sickness”. My favorite line was when he found out that his mother was lying to him and that he had been taking placebo pills his entire life and he confronts her but misspeaks and says, “These are gazebos! They’re b***s***!” All of the main actors were really young, but they each did such a good job and I can’t imagine what it was like to be in a horror movie with that clown in person. Ultimately, I thought that the movie was really well done and it was genuinely scary while having a good storyline and good jokes. What I didn’t enjoy so much about the movie was the scene where Beverly sees her bathroom will up with blood. It was such a disgusting scene even though it wasn’t from anyone and you know that it was just part of her imagination. But, seeing them all clean it up and the thick consistency of how it filled the entire room was just sickening and I wish I could just unsee the scene. Ironically the part that made shudder the most was seeing Eddie’s broken bone hang in a funny direction. Also, after the whole blood promise ritual at the end and then the kiss between Bill and Beverly it was gross because they smeared each others blood all over the other person’s face. I think the movie could’ve done without that. If you like thriller movies I would 100% recommend watching this because unlike so many other movies it actually has a really good plot. BUT if you don’t like horror movies or clowns by no means should you see this. Also, now I hate red balloons and clowns even more than I did before. I thought that this was a great movie. I only saw the original movie made in 1995 a couple months before seeing the new version, and I’d say that they did a pretty good job at adapting the story to fit present day life. The graphics, the acting, the plot, and the ending were all very impressive.
First of all, I loved the whole idea that the game changed into a videogame to fit the era and the fact that the you actually get turned into one of the game players once you start. The transition of each of the “real” people into their polar opposites physically, but still kept their personalities, in the game in my opinion was what made the movie so hilarious. Having the jock turn into Kevin Hart’s character, who is already known for making jokes about his size, fit perfectly in contrast to the nerd getting changed into The Rock. Their whole dynamic between these two actors was just fun to watch, as other producers have clearly realized as well since they’ve been cast in other movies together before. Also, Jack Black trying to imitate a popular teenage girl who’s obsessed with her looks and boys was super amusing. I also liked how they didn’t try to make the movie look like a videogame by altering the actors, but that they changed the script and other people within the game, like how they would repeat the same lines and would stop moving, made it really clear that they weren’t real. I also liked the icons that would pop up over their heads to show the strengths and weaknesses of their characters. The thing I didn’t like about that part was the fact that they had their lives count on their wrists because in an actual videogame it would be impossible to see those little black lines. The movie was also very visually appealing, understandably as the jungle was filmed in Hawaii, and the CGI of all the animals was very realistic too. Additionally, the jokes were well written and perfectly timed. I also loved the ending, and thought that it was believable that each of the characters came back with something changed (for the better) about their personalities and that they all became good friends, since they all came close to dying together but saved each other. To be honest, I don’t have too much to criticize about the movie. The entire premise of the storyline is crazy anyway, so it’s impossible to be dissapointed on that aspect of the movie if you start it knowing that from the first version. But, what improvements I think could’ve been made was more character development for Martha, the awkward antisocial girl, and “Fridge,” or the jock Anthony. Also, I thought that the task they were given for detention of removing all the staples from hundreds of magazines until they were finished seemed pretty unreasonable. Overall, I thought that this was well-done and had good acting and a good screenplay. In my opinion it is better than the original 1995 version, although I love Robin Williams in everything. I definitely recommend watching this movie! Something weird Senior year has taught me is this: I really like crocheting. It keeps my hands busy while I watch movies or TV, while also kind of giving me an excuse to watch movies and TV because hey, I need something to preoccupy my mind while making 44 identical hexagons. And in the end, I've got a nice, soft blanket to watch stuff in.
For this blanket, I took a pattern that I had done a few months ago for my aunt's Christmas present (and annoyingly forgot to take any pictures of) and basically just made it bigger. In the past, size has definitely been a problem for making blankets. You're so happy to have finished one you don't even care that it's too small to be useful for, like, anything. So for this one, I stuck it through and made it about six feet by five and a half feet, enough to cover most of my bed when it got colder. I think that I'm going to send it to my cousin and her family back in Nebraska, since they have to deal with much worse weather (and cus I haven't given her a bday present in two years. Oops). I'm sad to see it go, but also very much looking forward to other family members being impressed with my adequate abilities. This blanket took me about 30 hours of work total, from starting off the first patch to tying off the final edging. Finishing a project is always weird, because on one hand you just. want. to. be. done, but once you finish, it's like "okay, now what?" Shout out to the wonderful Miss. Kimura for modeling my artwork. To all the dreams of 4-H competitions never to come, Molly C. Galloway This . . . was most definitely a historical movie. As expected for a biographical story most people would be less than exciting most of the time and slightly thrilling at a few spots, this movie was in no way an outlier. Although I cannot ignore the fact that Winston Churchill did accomplish some significant steps in his life that were globally beneficial, I don’t understand the draw of watching a two-hour long movie about him. I watched this movie with Film Club, and every person came out of the theater dreary-eyed as nearly all of us fell asleep, or almost did, at some point in the movie and also were confused about the what seemed like it was supposed to be a mic-drop ending but felt too sudden.
Now, what I did like about the film was the cinematography. The different angles and transitions were what made the going to watch the movie almost worth it. There was an array of monochromatic scenes that were unsettlingly close to Churchill’s face as he traveled to and walked through the underground offices. One of the most amusing camera shots was when he was in the bathroom, on the phone with President Roosevelt asking for American ships to be sent to England. The comical situation as well as the how the room seemed to be cut in half added to the memorability of this scene. What I found interesting in the cinematography was that in many cases of the dark lit shots, it seemed as if there was a border around the scene, which I felt that it removed the audience even more and isolated the characters. Also, the closing scene was very visually appealing when all the members of the House of Commons threw their papers down and thousands of them fluttered down as Churchill strolled out the door after giving a motivating speech to push Parliament to continue fighting Hitler. History is by far my least favorite subject, which is probably one of the reasons why I would never chose to watch this movie for a second time. However, I am not sorry that I watched it, I just regret paying to spend two hours bored and slightly uncomfortable. So, if you love history and don’t mind it being played up for dramatic effect, this movie is for you. Otherwise, don’t bother watching this movie even if you have two hours to kill. WARNING - SPOILERS
This movie was all-around thumbs up from me -- except for a couple of the jokes. The plot follows the story of the new king of Wakanda, a hidden country in Africa filled with the most high-tech technology imaginable constructed using the power of a rare metal called vibranium, whose name is T’Challa, played by Chadwick Boseman. He aspires to be as good a king as he believes his father was, but immediately faces new challenges as his mission to bring a thief back fails and a vengeful outsider. Soon he realizes that his father was not the perfect man he once though he was when he finds out that he had murdered his own brother, T’Challa’s uncle, for distributing vibranium weapons to the outside world. The ‘outsider’ turns out to be his cousin, Erik Killmonger (played by Michael B. Jordan), disrupts the nation of Wakanda and challenges T’Challa to a fight for the throne, and throws him off the cliff, making him the new king. Erik has the same worldview as his father did and immediately starts a movement to share the advanced resources of Wakanda with the people around the world who have previously been unable to fight for themselves. Essentially, civil war breaks out as T’Challa is saved and brought back to health after his fall and he, along with his sister and girlfriend try to stop the jets flying out with the weapons. Erik and T’Challa end up sparing on one of the magnetic train tracks, and of course T’Challa comes out victorious. At the end of the film we see that T’Challa has been restored as king of Wakanda and adopts some of the propositions made by Erik to share the technology of Wakanda with the outside world, something that he had previously struggled to make a decision about. First of all, I think it is a must to recognize the significance of this superhero movie with a predominantly black cast. It is awesome to see that progress is being made in the cinema world in terms of casting, but it’s a pity it has taken so long and there is definitely a long ways to go to still. Also, I thought that it was really cool how the character of Erik Killmonger was so passionate about what he was doing because he wanted to help his people that had been, and still were being, oppressed and had been deprived of resources needed to put them back on their feet. Even in the very last scene, we see how he quotes a former slave saying, "Bury me in the ocean where my ancestors jumped from ships because they knew death was better than bondage." The success rate of this movie was outstanding. It passed the lifetime gross of Titanic at $665.4 million, and is third to only Avatar and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Pretty incredible. This is understandably so considering amazing visuals of the film. I thought the costumes and landscape shots in this movie were absolutely stunning, as well as the design of all the new technology. I think that the producers did an awesome job at the incorporation of different aspects of African cultures, including the importance of traditions and ancestry. All of the actors in the film did amazing work, and are all extremely talented. Although, I have to admit whenever I see Martin Freeman on camera, I can’t help but think of Bilbo Baggins. What I enjoyed less about the movie were the cheesy jokes written for T’Challa’s sister, Shuri, and M’Baku the leader of the mountain tribe. The one-liners from Shuri were mostly cringe-worthy, although I can see the reasoning behind giving her dialogue that connected her to the setting of the outside world, given her age and obsession with technology. In this way, I can accept all her lines except for the “what are those” joke. This one is what got me, but again I can see the appeal as it is easily recognizable to such a huge audience of young people. To be honest, M’Baku’s jokes were pretty amusing when the American FBI agent tried to talk, but I couldn’t tell if I wanted to genuinely laugh at his joke or at the fact that he was the only one in the scene who was laughing. Then again, what’s a Marvel movie without a couple of awkward jokes? Anyway, movie a must-see and there’s really not much else to say about that. Oh my goodness. This was such a sweet movie and so well done that I’d put it up there with UP. The movie is based on a book written by R. J. Palacio, it follows the heartwarming story of August (Auggie) Pullman who is born with facial deformities and his family. The plot is based around the terrifying experience of Auggie starting middle school and the different happenings at home and at school. What I found especially interesting was that the story is presented a couple times from the perspective of different characters, each time providing the audience with a little more insight into each of their lives. I remember reading a few different books that used this tactic, but I don’t ever remember watching a movie that did this so prominently by following the book (an example I can think of is the Percy Jackson series and the disappointing movies that were made about them). This change in perspective is especially significant in the movie as you get to learn to motivation and feelings of one of Auggies friends that seems to have betrayed him and Auggie’s sister who is struggling in the background with her own problems.
Another aspect of the movie which I enjoyed was the fact that it was unique in showing more significantly the good side of middle-schoolers rather than the negative side. The teacher seems to be pretty cool and has good standards in the classroom and the principal not corrupt and you can tell that he is a kind hearted person who cares for his students. Not to mention the fact that the role is played by none other than Inigo Montoya, only much older and with a beard (aka Mandy Patinkin). Also, although Auggie has hard times throughout the school year, you get to see multiple of his peers that have good hearts, aren’t judgemental, and stick up for him. Even the bully admits that he’s sorry for what he did and realizes that he was wrong for making fun of Auggie. And of course, what’s not to love about Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson play the caring mother and father. I loved their quirky relationship. Speaking of talented actors, Jacob Tremblay did an absolutely amazing job playing Auggie. He is extremely talented for his age, and I can definitely see him going on to have an outstanding acting career in his future if he doesn’t turn out to be one of those child actors gone-wrong type. I have not actually read the book that the movie is based on, but I definitely will pick it up if I ever get the chance. Also, I heard that there is a sequel so I’m hoping for a second movie sometime soon as well. I would 100% recommend watching this movie. Although the topic of middle school aged kids is usually a turn off for any sensible person, this one is definitely worth watching. |
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