Amanda “Andy” Gray

This is actually a decent movie. The plot doesn't make sense (why would they use dinosaurs to grow and harvest human organs from?) and some of the acting is subpar. The CGI isn't top-notch either. There are a few glaring and noticeable errors as well; however, I still found it enjoyable. It's a typical B-grade horror movie with lots of blood, death, and gore. I laughed at parts that probably shouldn't have been funny, but that's what I liked the most about it. Haha.

I feel like this movie kind of missed the mark. The film mainly focuses on the couple, who are dealing with multiple different issues at the same time. It touches on having a child who doesn't conform to gender standards, the process of applying to various schools, miscarriage, and two parents trying to navigate through it all. I thought that the mother was extremely combative and standoffish, which didn't appeal to me at all. It's like she's been split in two... On one hand she encourages her son to express himself however he wants by allowing him to play with dolls and dress up, which is pretty much the only positive message that this movie manages to hit. However, she then kind of undoes it all by how she reacts to other people noticing the fact that Jake is different. Meanwhile the father was a very flat character who seemed confused and/or uncomfortable throughout the whole story even though he's supposed to be a therapist. I like the overall concept of the movie, but everything about it was executed poorly. I also got the sense that the film was really trying to label Jake as transgendered when it should have been more focused on how it's completely acceptable for a boy to like "girlie" things or vice versa. I don't think there should really be a label for people who aren't necessarily following gender standards... like me. (I consider myself a tomboy. I generally enjoy stuff that's more geared towards "men" instead of women, but I'm not transgender. I'm not a lesbian either. I'm just a young woman who's into more "masculine" things).

Forget about everything that you know and love about Star Wars. This movie is like a piece of bad fanfic for the big screens with too much pandering. Well you can't please everyone and eventually some of the major plot points either become obvious or tedious. The story jumps around a lot and new characters are added for no reason. The questions that you actually want answered are never addressed either. The ending brought the story full circle in all of the wrong ways. It basically ruined the whole theme of the entire nine episode saga, which personally made my investment feel worthless. This movie might even kill off Star Wars completely. The special effects and musical scores were amazing. Daisy Ridley (Rey) and Adam Driver (Kylo Ren) did a terrific job in their respective roles. Those are a few of the bright points. Now I know that a lot of Star Wars fans will probably want to see the Rise of Skywalker, but I personally advise you to save your money and maybe even your sanity. I wish I would have...

This movie was great! I loved the creativity and originality behind the alien invaders. It's not something that I've seen in very many other alien movies, which I enjoyed. The acting was fairly good and most of the special effects were pretty decent, except for a few scenes. The Moscow setting is also different and added more appeal for me. I think that the end of the movie is/was left open for a possible sequel in the future. I'm amazed that this movie got so many bad reviews from critics. I thought it was appealing and unique, especially when you compare it to other alien invasion movies. There are a few drawbacks and problems, but I don't believe that they really subtract anything from the film itself. If you're a sci-fi fan then you should give this movie a chance. It might surprise you.

The Ninth Gate is a really underrated film in my opinion. Johnny Depp nails his role as the main character. I've actually seen this movie a few times and I think it deserves being watched more than once to truly understand the depth of the whole story. I also enjoyed the overall flow of the film since each scene feels like it just builds up the plot or develops the characters (or both). It's superb writing! I'm always left breathless by the ending and I crave more. I'm honestly wowed by any movie that lets my imagination run wild with ideas on what happens next... The Ninth Gate is definitely among them.

Encanto is a decent story with likeable characters. It definitely explored a concept and a culture that I'm not familiar with, but it didn't really give me a whole lot of information either. I don't know if I really understood everything that was going on as a result, which is a shame. The movie automatically assumes that the viewer is Colombian and it doesn't bother to include anyone else. Coco is much better at explaining the culture behind the story. Encanto should have used a similar formula, but it didn't. The overall story feels recycled and rushed. There are a lot of musical numbers in the film; however, none of them really stand out in my mind. I wish that they would have spent a bit more time on the secret struggles that each family member had. I think that would have given the film more substance. The overall theme is one thing I could understand, but it doesn't really feel like anything is solved. I think the message is supposed to be about treasuring your loved ones regardless of whether they're gifted or not. Encanto fails to deliver the lesson though since everyone is blessed by the miracle again and the main character remains ordinary. It falls flat for me.

I thought that this was a fairly decent movie. It's not perfect by any means and there are a few holes in the plot that could have been filled in some more or worked out, but it's probably one of the better heist movies that I've seen. The first half or so is spent figuring out all of the pieces of the puzzle and how to solve them. It then transitions into more low-key stealthy action scenes when they reach the bank. It's set around the 2010 Olympics as well, which made me feel like it might have really happened. I think that probably helped me overlook some of the problems in overall story. All of the characters are likable and the acting is pretty good. It has an open ending with the possibility of a sequel in the future. I would definitely be interested in seeing the story continue, especially with the link that this movie has with Sir Francis Drake.

This movie is a great live action adaptation of the classic animated film. I actually enjoyed a lot of the changes that were made, especially the additional characters that got added in to the overall story. It has a darker tone compared to the original; however, it's still emotional and heart-warming. I think Tim Burton did a terrific job. He added his own customary twisted flare while making nods to the animated classic. I enjoyed the fact that it was more centered around the circus family as a whole and how all of the "sideshow freaks" fit together. Colin Farrell (aka Holt Farrier) and Michael Keaton (aka Vandevere) played their respective roles really well. The special effects were excellent, especially during the "pink elephant" scene. The only glaring detail in my opinion is Dreamland itself. I found it hard to believe that a theme park of such magnitude could exist in 1919. I think it broke me out of the time period a little bit. Overall I enjoyed the movie and I would definitely recommend watching it.

I'm basing my review solely on the first episode. I wasn't really sure what to expect from this series. I thought it would either be a prequel or a direct continuation from where the movie / graphic novel left off. I knew that might require some new characters, but I was looking forward to seeing what would happen either way. I guess it could technically be called a sequel of sorts since the show mainly takes place in the present day... Maybe future episodes explain what happened over the last thirty years or so; however, it's clear to me that the primary focus has nothing to do with Watchmen at all in my opinion. The story is drenched in white supremacy and based around the current civil unrest regarding the systematic oppression towards POC in our country. If I want to watch something like that then I can just turn on the news. I can see where this show is going and what it's trying to achieve, but I'm just not interested.

Nothing will ever compare to the original animated version of The Lion King. This CGI remake is visually stunning and as such the overall mood was lost in favor of realism. It's difficult to convey emotions on such lifelike renditions... The voice acting is top-notch and that does help, but it's just not enough for me to really feel a connection to any of the characters. A few scenes still gave me goosebumps thanks in part to the amazing musical score, which I think was only enhanced by Hans Zimmerman. At other points it was a lot like watching a nature documentary. I was particularly disappointed by Scar's appearance and portrayal. The characterization of Rafiki also felt completely off. I missed some of the extra jokes that the Hyenas had as well. The banter between Timon and Pumbaa was spot on though. Zazu provided some additional comedic aspect too. The animated version never fails to make me cry no matter how many times I watch it, but there's no heart behind the CGI remake. A few extended scenes of Simba walking through the desert and his scent traveling to Rafiki were dragged out for no reason. I feel like they should have animated the faces a little bit more to tone down the hyper realism. Personally I would recommend the original animated version over the remake. I still enjoyed it though. The visuals, effects, and musical score are worth seeing it in the theaters if you're the type of person who enjoys that sort of thing.