My Film reviews.
Subjective list of movies based on story, cinematography, score, and re-watchability.
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31 titles
- DirectorJacob StreileinStarsMichael HoA teacher struggles to control a rumor spreading around his elementary school by one greedy child.10
One of the best, if not the best, short films of all time. Tackles mature themes in a suspenseful and creative way. 10/10 story 10/10 soundtrack 9.5/10 visuals 10/10 rewatchability - DirectorKeiichi HaraStarsKumiko AsôChris AyresGreg AyresA sinful spirit is granted the opportunity to prove worthy for rebirth, inhabiting the body of a student who killed himself.9.5
A deep story that tackles mature themes with incredible rewatchability. The Art style is a bit generic. - CreatorShin'ichirô WatanabeStarsKaito IshikawaSôma SaitôAtsumi TanezakiTokyo has been decimated by a terrorist attack, the only clue to the culprit's identity is a bizarre internet video. Two mysterious children form Sphinx, a clandestine entity determined to pull the trigger on this world.9
A poignant story of two boys saddled with trauma from an abusive government agency seek to honor their fallen peers in the most extreme way possible.
With only 11 episodes this series tells a strong story with no fluff. The characters are well defined and realistic. And even the damsel in distress acts in a logical way. This is also reflected in the character designs and cinematography. The animation is amazing without being too over the top.The main theme also invokes the same feelings. There are a few loose threads that aren't accounted for like the female lead's relationship with her mother but this story is practical on what it spends its time on. - DirectorBob PersichettiPeter RamseyRodney RothmanStarsShameik MooreJake JohnsonHailee SteinfeldTeen Miles Morales becomes the Spider-Man of his universe and must join with five spider-powered individuals from other dimensions to stop a threat for all realities.9
Just about as interesting as a superhero origin story can get. This movie follows all the same beats of many other hero movies before it but manages to stand out partly due to the fact that this is done in a novel 3d animated style. The soundtrack is also superb. - DirectorRon ClementsJohn MuskerStarsScott WeingerRobin WilliamsLinda LarkinA kind-hearted street urchin and a power-hungry Grand Vizier vie for a magic lamp that has the power to make their deepest wishes come true.8.5
A colorful movie with an amazing soundtrack that appeals to both young boys and girls. Easily one of Robin Williams's best roles.
Lacking in mature themes. - DirectorDon BluthGary GoldmanStarsMatt DamonDrew BarrymoreBill PullmanA young man learns that he has to find a hidden Earth ship before an enemy alien species does in order to secure the survival of humanity.7.5
A fun movie that touches on mature themes with a great soundtrack. Easily Don Bluth's best works.
Not a huge fan of the 3d but given the time this was produced and the consideration of its use, the 3d feels natural and well-integrated. - DirectorGary TrousdaleKirk WiseStarsMichael J. FoxJim VarneyCorey BurtonA young linguist named Milo Thatch joins an intrepid group of explorers to find the mysterious lost continent of Atlantis.6.5
This movie has a very strong sense of style and great animation. But the story is pretty weak. Trying to fit the mystery of Atlantis and show the culture of the dying people and how to save it doesn't leave much development for a 90-minute film. - DirectorRichard CurtisStarsDomhnall GleesonRachel McAdamsBill NighyAt the age of 21, Tim discovers he can travel in time and change what happens and has happened in his own life. His decision to make his world a better place by getting a girlfriend turns out not to be as easy as you might think.6.5
This movie is quite deceptive, in both its title and description. Upon first glance you may be lead to believe that this is a romance movie about a time traveler who uses his power to find love and hijinks ensue. But in actuality time travel plays a very small role in this film. That's not to say its inconsequential, if you removed the time travel aspects the story would fall apart. Similarly this is not a love story or at least not in the traditional sense. The main character does find love but its not focused on the love he finds with his partner but a love he finds with life.
Just as you wouldn't change the quirks and imperfections your partner may have. The main character learns to love life in all its imperfections. Both the good and the bad. In many ways this movie is very similar to "Colorful" just with some added fluff.
This movie has a very powerful and somewhat unique message but everything else about it is very middle of the road. The soundtrack is fitting but nothing special, the characters are fleshed out but not particularly moving and the cinematography works well enough. And again this is not a sci-fi movie and while it does have elements of romance more thoroughly developed than your average film I wouldn't call it a romance.
"About Time" is a light drama that touches on notes of deeper themes without being bogged down by them. - DirectorTimur BekmambetovStarsAngelina JolieJames McAvoyMorgan FreemanA frustrated office worker discovers that he is the son of a professional assassin, and that he shares his father's superhuman killing abilities.6.5
Walking in the footsteps of The Matrix and Fightclub, Wanted delivers a stylistic and blood pumping flick. This videogame esque movie features everything you would expect in a Action-shooter.
While this movie doesn't do anything particularly new with the genre nor does it reach the heights of its inspirations, it still hits every note while also touting some stand out scenes. Some of which felt like a cutscene ripped straight out of Uncharted (especially the train scene) as well as the cathartic office room breakdown that could fit into Office space.
Again this movie was great but it does fall back into some generic tropes and scene structure that at this point are very boring to sit though but the highs greatly outweigh the lows. - DirectorSimon J. SmithSteve HicknerStarsJerry SeinfeldRenée ZellwegerMatthew BroderickBarry B. Benson, a bee just graduated from college, is disillusioned at his lone career choice: making honey. On a special trip outside the hive, Barry's life is saved by Vanessa, a florist in New York City. As their relationship blossoms, he discovers humans actually eat honey and subsequently decides to sue them.6
According to all laws of pop culture this movie should not be given anything above a 5. This movie gets a 6 because I don't care what pop culture thinks.
This is a movie with a fairly strong sense of style above average soundtrack and well fleshed out beeverse. Its very fast paced jumping from existential dread to injusted to interspecies liaison back to existential dread. As a result not much time is left to explore these ideas deeply and as a result this movie feels more like a few episodes of a sitcom rather than a feature film.There are a lot of one liners in this film that feel out of place. Like they were put in there just to resemble a 90s tv show. Nonetheless its a fun and light watch that can be enjoyed by all.
Fun fact this movie and Incredibles both contain and song with similar sounding chord progression that plays during a big reveal. (Bee Movie's 'Assault on Honey Farms' and The Incredibles' Kronos Unveiled') - DirectorSylvain ChometStarsJean-Claude DondaEilidh RankinDuncan MacNeilA French illusionist finds himself out of work and travels to Scotland, where he meets a young woman. Their ensuing adventure changes both their lives forever.6
This movie is like a beautiful painting. Very nice to look at but very little story. - DirectorPatrik SyversenStarsPatrick StewartTom Rhys HarriesJessamine-Bliss BellA dragon known as Drago tries to end the rivalry between a brother and sister, both having dragon-like powers, who are after the throne of their grandfather, while a new threat steals Drago's source of power.6
Wow, this movie is way better than its predecessor. The first scene alone garners more emotion than anything seen in "Sorcerer's Curse" The cinematography, acting, lighting staging, cgi, and soundtrack are all immensely improved. Which is shocking considering this movie came out only 2 years following DH 3 and I would assume based on the flashbacks that this movie began production not long after DH 3.
Story wise its always tough having an unlikeable protagonist especially when we spent the entire previous film growing to love the dragon that our hero now hates. But his disposition is understandable if a bit half baked. But that is to be expected of an action film as this is a very 'story first' movie. One thing that I can praise about the characters are that they are not dumb. They don't take ages to come to conclusions the audience made 20 minutes ago. - DirectorPaul BolgerYvette KaplanGreg TiernanStarsSigourney WeaverSarah Michelle GellarPatrick WarburtonAn alliance of evil-doers, led by Frieda, looks to take over Fairy Tale Land. But when Ella realizes her stepmother is out to ruin her storybook existence, she takes a dramatic turn and blossoms into the leader of the resistance effort.6
This Shrek knockoff is actually a pretty decent movie if you can look past the animation. Its funny and tells a competent story. - DirectorCatherine HardwickeStarsKristen StewartRobert PattinsonBilly BurkeWhen Bella Swan moves to a small town in the Pacific Northwest, she falls in love with Edward Cullen, a mysterious classmate who reveals himself to be a 108-year-old vampire.5.5
This movie got a lot more hate than it deserved and rewatching in 2023 is an interesting experience. Overall the visuals and soundtrack are very striking with only a few odd cinematography choices. The plot is oddly an afterthought as we focus more on the shortly-lived mystique of Edward and the allure of Bella. Still not a great love story but as a high school flick it does what it sets out to do well enough. Ignoring of course the implications of a 104 man having a sexual relationship with a minor. This movie is filled with many such plot holes and poor rationalization but at the end of the day, it brings you into the lusty hormonal world of a girl that is living every teenager's dream. And no amount of bad acting and flat characters will break that illusion. - DirectorEric DarnellTim JohnsonLawrence GutermanStarsWoody AllenSharon StoneGene HackmanA rather neurotic ant tries to break from his totalitarian society while trying to win the affection of the princess he loves.5.5
This movie starts strong and has a pretty good sense of style. Unfortunately it doesn't do anything particularly special. Funnily enough it hits a lot of the same beats as Bee Movie. They both even take place in NYC. And although the story is slightly better in Antz, Bee Movie is a lot more fun. - DirectorChris WedgeStarsAmanda SeyfriedJosh HutchersonBeyoncéA teenager finds herself transported to a deep forest setting where a battle between the forces of good and evil is taking place. She bands together with a ragtag group of characters to save their world--and ours.5.5
This movie has a pretty stacked cast, and some large studios behind it. Unfortunately, as its title might has foreshadowed, this movie can't help but feel extremely generic. 'Safe' might be a better word for it, this movie hits all the beats you'd expect from it:
-Narrative voice over bookends
-MC with a tragic backstory
-Friction with a family member
-Beyonce
-Evil villain
-Troubled Heart throb
-Romance
etc.
And it satisfactorily hits those marks to a competent degree but never exceeding those expectations.
The only stand out notes from this movie are the villain being given a tragic motivator and the animation (blue sky never disappoints.) - DirectorJacob GentryStarsChad McKnightBrianne DavisAJ BowenA physicist who invents a time machine must travel back to the past to uncover the truth about his creation and the woman who is trying to steal it.5.5
A sci-fi time travel movie that's more fi than sci. The premise is very interesting but the story just meanders until it fizzles out at the end. The shots are interesting and the soundtrack is good but if you watched this in a different language you'd think it's much more interesting than it really is. That is to say, the movie lacks substance which is odd considering the premise of time travel and wormholes. The intro is very interesting but the writers didn't do much with it unfortunately. - DirectorWill FinnJohn SanfordStarsJudi DenchCuba Gooding Jr.Jennifer TillyTo save their farm, the resident animals go bounty hunting for a notorious outlaw.5.5
The main cast have a great dynamic but the story is pretty weak. Would make for a great tv show but there just isn't enough substance for this movie to be interesting. - DirectorTakashi NakamuraThe story takes place before WWII at a photo studio on top of a hill. Many people visit this studio to have their photos taken. One day, a couple comes, but the wife is so shy that she always lowers her head. The owner of the studio tries all kinds of tricks to get her to smile and eventually succeeds. One year later, the couple comes again, but this time they bring their daughter along. She always looks grumpy, and again, the owner has to try everything to get her to smile. Thus starts a long-running relationship between the girl and the owner, and time passes to years and then decades.5.5
A nicely animated short film about a young girl and a photographer. This is more of a character study than a story and that makes it feel a bit more personal. Other than that it really isn't that engaging. The animation is the clear stand out feature and the only reason its rated this higly. - DirectorJamie Magnus StoneStarsAdeel AkhtarMatt BerryDanielle BjelicIn a fantasy world where magic is being superseded by technology, an orphaned teen discovers her destiny to become a dragonslayer.5.5
A light-hearted whimsical tale that mixes modern sensibilities with fantasy tropes.
This film starts off fairly strong but misses the mark in a few places. Set design aside this story is too big for its own good. We are presented with so many twists that there is no room for much story. Which makes this movie feel more like a collection of tv episodes rather than a movie. - DirectorThor FreudenthalStarsLogan LermanAlexandra DaddarioBrandon T. JacksonIn order to restore their dying safe haven, the son of Poseidon and his friends embark on a quest to the Sea of Monsters, to find the mythical Golden Fleece, all the while trying to stop an ancient evil from rising.5.5
I was shocked to find this movie had a lower budget than the first of the series. This movie looks much better with the increase of well-done sfx. The story is pretty weak though with unrealistic characterizations and dialogues. That being said I would have liked to see a third entry in this series. - DirectorChris ColumbusStarsLogan LermanKevin McKiddSteve CooganA teenager discovers he's the descendant of a Greek god and sets out on an adventure to settle an on-going battle between the gods.5
Pretty generic teen mythical action movie. I read the books as a child and was surprised by the depiction of Grover but without his humor this movie would be incredibly boring. Condensing a book is never easy and this movie falls prey to many of the pitfalls of adapting a book. - DirectorBill CondonStarsKristen StewartRobert PattinsonTaylor LautnerAfter the birth of Renesmee/Nessie, the Cullens gather other vampire clans in order to protect the child from a false allegation that puts the family in front of the Volturi.4.5
CGI baby.
This is a very light movie considering the stakes. It's not entirely fair to rate this movie separately from part 1 but I'll do it anyway. A happy ending is expected of this saga, it is a love story after all but it may have been better to focus this finale on wrapping up the loose ends with the human, vampires, and werewolves. Escalating the stakes to the level presented would be great in the middle of the series but here it's rushed and honestly feels more like a fanfic than anything else. Jacob is thrown away to a minor role (really) and Charlie is just assumed to accept the rapid growth of Nessie and who knows what mom was told.
Overall a cluttered ending for a series that really shouldn't have made it past book one. But at least Bella's terror on the small town of Forks has come to an end and for that, I thank you, Stephanie. - DirectorAaron WoodleyStarsJace NormanJessica BielPatrick StewartSpark, a teenage monkey and his friends, Chunk and Vix, are on a mission to regain Planet Bana, a kingdom overtaken by the evil overlord Zhong.4.5
A somewhat generic Starwars knockoff littered with obvious twists and numerous plot holes/oversights. Not much thought was put into the story and many of the jokes fall flat.
Unlike stars though, this movie blindsides us with magic near the end of the film. Feeling more like an afterthought than a main component of the story. Almost like they recognized just how much this story was like starwars and just added the force to complete the package. They already had Force ghosts, orphaned MC, Evil Relative, Planet destroying device and powerful father. It would be crazy not to have magic at that point. But the issue is the magic system doesn't change much and without it the movie would have ended in the same way. It's just something to make Spark special, which kind of cheapens his accomplishments in someway. And not to drone on about this issue. But the villain also shares the same bloodline so why wouldn't he also be a space sorcerer? Would have lead to a more dramatic climax.
That being said it is still competently made with a somewhat conclusive character arc that doesn't beg for a sequel. The rendering and compositing is a bit out of date for 2016 but nothing egregious. - DirectorNeil BurgerStarsShailene WoodleyTheo JamesKate WinsletIn a world divided by factions based on virtues, Tris learns she's Divergent and won't fit in. When she discovers a plot to destroy Divergents, Tris and the mysterious Four must find out what makes Divergents dangerous before it's too late.4.5
In an age of teen dystopian movies Divergent does itself no favors. Besides being extremely generic (even for its time) the movie also suffers from: awkward dialogue, strange character motivations, bland cinematography and soundtrack (sorry Hanz) and a paper thin plot.
Ignoring the whole premise of the movie, which makes little to no sense. The tries to assemble itself in a three act system but fails due to act 2 consuming much of the runtime and only by the end of it are we finally told what this movie is really about.
The ending of this movie is somehow the most lackluster yet infuriating series of actions that unfolded throughout the entire film. And seemly only exist to set up the sequel.