Justin R

There is one word to describe this movie - dull. The entire film is essentially set in three drab, dimly lit rooms. It makes you wonder why they bothered filming it on IMAX camera. The plot is boring and plays out like a mish-mash of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Fight Club, Dahmer and some bland courtroom drama. I normally like psychological thrillers, but believe me, there is nothing 'thrilling' in this movie. Joaquin Phoenix is great in his performance as Joker but even he can't rescue this. The artistic decision to make it a sort of 'faux-musical' was a mistake and the songs were either boring, forgettable, pretentious or unintentionally funny. It's a shame because its predecessor was a masterpiece. However I think that is the problem. The simple reality is Joker (2019) didn't need a sequel.

As you would expect, the special effects are far superior to Twister (1996). However, it's also a lot more bombastic and overblown - which I suppose is fine for a summer popcorn blockbuster. The problem is the plot is paper thin and it doesn't have the charm and humor of the original. The female lead is more fickle than the weather and comes across as rather cold. That being said, I enjoyed the updated contemporary elements (instead of scientists we get you tubers) and the intense ending sequence. Overall a fun and decent summer movie which brings back nostalgia for those who enjoyed the original.

This movie has a stark dissonance between expectation and reality. It is not (as the trailers would have you believe) some epic, post-apocalyptic war movie. There are no General's in dark rooms, set piece battles or grand speeches and social commentaries. No exposition or motives for why the war is taking place and how it's progressing. Instead we get Civil war in microcosm - following a group of photojournalists as they travel across a war-torn Country. The pacing is slow and ponderous. It plods along from one moment to the next and, despite it's attempts to be introspective, just doesn't make you care about any of the main characters. It picks up towards the end and becomes more action centered but even that is muddled, confusing and somewhat anti-climactic. It's not a bad movie and you would probably watch it on Netflix, once. It feels like a missed opportunity. A movie that really had the ability to explore the big political and social themes of our age. But instead falls back on the well trodden 'war is hell' cliche. It's a movie that just doesn't live up to its premise. However, like many movies based on Alex Garland's work, I think this is destined to become a cult classic.

A good movie, not a great one. As you would expect from a Nolan film it was stylistically impressive. However, the third act 'post bomb' was almost entirely superfluous as it morphed into a dull and questionably edited courtroom drama. The bass heavy music, rather than creating tension, was actually quite distracting. There was also surprisingly little Science about the actual creation of the bomb - splitting the atom, testing, material gathering, the demon core incident - all briefly skipped over or entirely absent in favor of a rather banal life story and political drama. The build up to the test was taut but the actual detonation was a little underwhelming and lacked the 'Wow factor'. There were some interesting scenes and the noteworthy performances actually came from Matt Damon and Kenneth Branagh. Overall it was a rather bloated, banal and gloomy affair. I would recommend watching it but I wouldn't suggest rushing out to buy advanced tickets.

Dangerous propoganda. This is the Tokyo War Crimes Trials according to Japanese Ultra-Nationalists. A poorly made, low budget series that gets bogged down in legal minutiae rather than focusing on the big picture. Anyone tuning in to watch a drama about the Trials will be sorely disappointed because in truth there is very little in this 4-part series about the Trials at all. The key players, their arguments and motivations are all largely absent. Instead we get a muddled mess. The Japanese conducted themselves in World War 2 in a brutal and dishonorable way and committed some of the most despicable atrocities in human history - any attempt to engender sympathy for their cause or fudge the issue by grandstanding about victors justice, legal semantics or colonialism misses the mark. There is some decent acting and interesting dynamcis between the Judges but beyond that there is very little else positive I can say about this.

History isn't kind to presidential losers, but this a surprisingly warm and human portrait. The documentary focuses less on the political machinations of the campaign and more on the man and his relationship with his family. Romney certainly comes across as a good man with a loving and caring family. One wonders how many outcomes might be different if we could see all major candidates in such a way before an election. It's definitely a must watch for political anoraks but maybe lacks broader appeal given that it was an unsuccessful campaign.

In my view the best screen adaptation of Hannibal Lecter. This impressive 80s thriller is one of my favorite movies. It's intense, stylish and menacing. The soundtrack is haunting and the brilliant cinematography and color schemes are what you would expect from Director Michael Mann. It's not as true to the novel as Red Dragon and some aspects like the editing and sound are a little dated. However, as suspenseful thrillers go, this is a cult classic.

An excellent political drama detailing the escalation of the Vietnam War by the Johnson Administration. Michael Gambon delivers a tour de force as he embodies Johnson's rough, overbearing style helped by strong performances from a talented supporting cast. This nearly 3 hour TV epic is very well produced and captures all the nuance, emotion and political decision making that led the nation into a slow spiral of an ever escalating conflict. It also traverses many of the tumultuous political events of the 60s giving the time to them that a shorter, more commercial movie might miss. This is a spellbinding watch for those interested in American Political History.

Wonderful performances from Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones are the highlight of this inspiring and touching Biopic. However, the filmmakers focus on an emotional character driven story centered around his personal life rather than his scientific achievements. Those who are unfamiliar with Hawking's work, may still be left in the dark as to why he is so famous.

There is much to like in this flawed historical epic. Troy is a visual triumph with stunning costumes and sets and plenty of giant, brutal CGI battles. The purists and Greek scholars may take issue with the historical liberties taken - but as an epic inspired movie there is much to like including a standout scene where Eric Bana's Hector fights Brad Pitt's Achilles. Troy is a good movie but not a great one. What's missing is depth - much of the characters reasoning, emotion and story is half baked and lacks depth. It's perplexing with such a talented ensemble cast and a 3 hour 16 minute runtime. However, Troy was released in the early 2000s following the likes of Gladiator and Lord of the Rings and obviously looked to cash in more on action rather than story and emotion which is where it falls short. Nonetheless its an entertaining, historical epic.