So, it has all the problems Bollywood movies usually have: way too long, tonally inconsistent, overacted and about as subtle as a sledgehammer. But I will say, its direct and rather brutal takedown of organized religion impressed me. I always assumed India had a conservative culture that viewed religion with deference. This movie does no such thing. Granted most of its ideas aren't groundbreaking, but when you look at the source...you kinda have to admire the balls of saying the things it does.
Weak, sequel-bait ending aside, this is a very solid story throughout, well structured and with each episode raising the stakes and offering resolution. So many streaming shows string the audience along, hinting that if you just keep watching there will eventually be some payoff. With Squid Game you get payoff in every episode. That alone makes it leagues better than most other shows out there.
Great acting by Gyllenhaal (you really see him channeling his inner Joaquin Phoenix here,) and the supporting case does well too, especially Riz Ahmed as a naive, sincere, and morally centered foil to Gyllenhaal's nake sociopathy. Seriously, Gyllenhaal almost plays the role TOO well. I think most of us have met someone like his character: someone who talks in cliches and affectations, someone who just comes across as fake. The plot is simple but effective, and while the criticism of the media sensationalizing violence s pretty on the nose, it is (unfortunately) not exaggerated. The movie feels chillingly realistic, and as such is very effective thriller that really gets under your skin.
Pretty good, overall. I found it a little uncanny to see a very Tom Clancy-esque story about submarines and nuclear war delivered through the lens of French cinema. Watching a military film where all the characters speak French is unusual enough, and there's a veneer of "Frenchness" over everything that makes it seems a little usually, kind of like with "Leon the Professional." The story is pretty tight, with a few contrivances, and everything is delivered with an unexpected amount of emotional sincerity. Overall, a pretty solid movie, feeling both very familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.
A talented cast, and a very interesting concept (young couple gets trapped in an endless suburban sprawl.) Unfortunately, it feels like the writer didn't really know what to do with the concept.
It ends up being this pretty half-baked story about aliens tricking humans into raising their young, or something. They establish this early on with images of brood parasites, birds who lay eggs in other birds nests to trick them first bird into raising their young. That concept kind of pays off here, but not really. And some things aren't explained at all, like why Jessie Eisenberg keeps getting sick. Because of the food? Maybe, but it's not well explained.
Overall the movie is pretty slow paced and inconsequential. Not boring exactly, but ALMOST boring.
This movie has all the trappings of a solid if derivative action spy thriller in the vein of The Bourne Identity. A very talented cast of A-listers, gorgeous cinematography, competent and at times exciting fight choreography, and a pretty kick-ass soundtrack. The first fifteen minutes or so signal a much better movie than the one we get.
Jessica Chastain plays Ava, an assassin for hire who questions the morality of her actions. John Malkovich is her gruff but caring mentor/father figure. Collin Farrel is the evil head of the assassin agency who wants Ava dead. Ava also has a sister, a mother, and an ex-lover, played by Common, who doesn't know she's an assassin. All in all, not a bad setup for a good-enough film. But everything is presented in the most cliched and expository way possible. There is no nuance or subtlety to any of the characters, and the very short run time never lets anything go deeper than surface level. What really convinced me this movie was bad was when a forced conflict comes out of nowhere about forty minutes in. Common, apparently, is a compulsive gambler, and this bit of characterization seems to exist solely so that Ava can go to an underground casino and beat up some thugs. It would seem that even with only 90 minutes to fill, there simply weren't enough ideas to fill that time, so some contrived bit of side action and side conflict had to occur.
It's a real shame because some very talented people clearly put some real effort into several parts of the film. The screenwriter was not one of those people. It reminded me a bit of the The 13th Warrior in that regard: you could see the good movie hidden under the surface.
There's some pretty nutty true crime stories out there...but this one takes the cake. It's crazier than Tiger King. Jeez, what is it with insane people and cats?
Comments 1 - 25 of 145
Movie comment on Crimson Peak
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"It's not a ghost story, it's a story with ghosts in it."Movie comment on Five Nights at Freddy's
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They had SO MUCH lore to draw upon. SO MUCH fan made content to take inspiration from. And THIS is the best they could come up with?Movie comment on Legends of the Fall
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Nobody has any right to criticize super hero movies as cliched, poorly plotted, melodramatic or pretentious while shit like this exists.Movie comment on Jurassic World: Dominion
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Coulda been worse.Movie comment on PK
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So, it has all the problems Bollywood movies usually have: way too long, tonally inconsistent, overacted and about as subtle as a sledgehammer. But I will say, its direct and rather brutal takedown of organized religion impressed me. I always assumed India had a conservative culture that viewed religion with deference. This movie does no such thing. Granted most of its ideas aren't groundbreaking, but when you look at the source...you kinda have to admire the balls of saying the things it does.Movie comment on Top Gun: Maverick
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A lot of these nostalgia-bait soft remakes recreate scenes from the first movie, but this one takes "hey, remember this?" it to a whole new level.Movie comment on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
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If you haven't seen Wandavision you'll be pretty lost.Movie comment on Corpse Bride
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Pretty sure this was the inspiration for Tumblr.Movie comment on Ojing-eo geim
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Weak, sequel-bait ending aside, this is a very solid story throughout, well structured and with each episode raising the stakes and offering resolution. So many streaming shows string the audience along, hinting that if you just keep watching there will eventually be some payoff. With Squid Game you get payoff in every episode. That alone makes it leagues better than most other shows out there.Movie comment on Tango & Cash
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So, I'm not one to use the term "greatest movie of all time" lightly, BUT...Movie comment on Ran
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Kurosawa may well be the greatest film director who has ever lived.Movie comment on Minari
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I get why people like it, I get why it's "good"...but I just found it really slow, boring and uneventful.Movie comment on Godzilla: King of the Monsters
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The degree to which I did not care about the human drama shocked me.Movie comment on Made You Look: A True Story About Fake Art
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Y'know, if you can afford 8 million dollars for a painting, you can afford to be ripped off for 8 million dollars.Movie comment on Allen v. Farrow
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Makes it kinda hard to watch a Woody Allen movie again.Movie comment on Nightcrawler
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Great acting by Gyllenhaal (you really see him channeling his inner Joaquin Phoenix here,) and the supporting case does well too, especially Riz Ahmed as a naive, sincere, and morally centered foil to Gyllenhaal's nake sociopathy. Seriously, Gyllenhaal almost plays the role TOO well. I think most of us have met someone like his character: someone who talks in cliches and affectations, someone who just comes across as fake. The plot is simple but effective, and while the criticism of the media sensationalizing violence s pretty on the nose, it is (unfortunately) not exaggerated. The movie feels chillingly realistic, and as such is very effective thriller that really gets under your skin.Movie comment on Le chant du loup
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Pretty good, overall. I found it a little uncanny to see a very Tom Clancy-esque story about submarines and nuclear war delivered through the lens of French cinema. Watching a military film where all the characters speak French is unusual enough, and there's a veneer of "Frenchness" over everything that makes it seems a little usually, kind of like with "Leon the Professional." The story is pretty tight, with a few contrivances, and everything is delivered with an unexpected amount of emotional sincerity. Overall, a pretty solid movie, feeling both very familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.Movie comment on Vivarium
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A talented cast, and a very interesting concept (young couple gets trapped in an endless suburban sprawl.) Unfortunately, it feels like the writer didn't really know what to do with the concept.Movie comment on Ava
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This movie has all the trappings of a solid if derivative action spy thriller in the vein of The Bourne Identity. A very talented cast of A-listers, gorgeous cinematography, competent and at times exciting fight choreography, and a pretty kick-ass soundtrack. The first fifteen minutes or so signal a much better movie than the one we get.Movie comment on Don't F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer
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There's some pretty nutty true crime stories out there...but this one takes the cake. It's crazier than Tiger King. Jeez, what is it with insane people and cats?Movie comment on Sherlock Holmes
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A fun, reasonably smart adventure romp with good acting and character interactions. Overall, a fine little movie.Movie comment on Rambo: Last Blood
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One of the worst directed movies I've ever seen. And boring as hell until the last 20 minutes.Movie comment on Frances
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Very depressing. In a good way.Movie comment on Tall Girl
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The last scene ALMOST makes up for the rest of the movie. Almost.Movie comment on Hackers
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Delightfully cheesy and the most 90's thing to ever exist.Showing items 1 – 25 of 145