Jeremiah Yang

It's honestly a very interesting movie. Great performances by everyone with a great, dark idea behind the story that will keep you interested to the end. With an acceptable end given the nature of the story. Probably the biggest thing though is that you don't really connect with anyone. Each character is intentionally gray and I feel that you were suppose to pick one side to go with but in the end you don't really care for either side of the conflict. You don't even care enough to appreciate or enjoy the ends for each character. You just expect them but hope it's done in a creative way. Or done in such a creative way that subverts the end you want for them and you are okay with it. So without any emotional investments in the characters, you are only left with the curiosity of how it will all end. While funny, the whole idea of the situation holds such a presence that some will feel hard to allow the comedy to set in and meld with the overall dark story. While I say the ending is acceptable, it's also one that will probably disappoint audience the most and might leave some with regrets. Regrets like, that it was amongst a list of acceptable/wanted ends but it being the weakest in the list. Regrets that such an interesting plot had a weak story that leads to a less interesting end. Regrets that such a smart idea had such a simple and displeasing end.

A great movie with some really genuine moments of laughter and emotion. Is it groundbreaking or transformative for its genre? No and really you might be thinking too hard and looking too deep if that's what you're expecting going in. Same can be said if you are thinking this is gonna be some ultra comedy, weekend at Bernie's ala Kevin Hart movie. The Upside is the kind of movie we don't get often enough anymore. A feel good movie that's not afraid to keep it's feet on the ground and just tell a story about two people and that truly makes you hope that the real people it depicts were as happy if not happier during the moments of joy in this movie, as well as close as they were in the sadder and more difficult times.

Calling this movie a game-changer is no exaggeration. The visuals not only stretch the limits of CG animation, it painstakingly fuses the wide canvas of the comic world with that of animation unlike any other film has. Each viewing of this movie is just more and more delicious eye candy and a new discovery every time as you try to break down all the elements that went into this movie. For you art and film lovers, there is a lot to admire in this film. From the lighting to the color palettes. From the camera work and story boarding to the music and audio. This film is a technical feast. Not only a visual game-changer, Sony and team did what others in the industry and genre thought couldn't be done. Something that shouldn't be done if you wanted to make a good superhero. Something people felt was why franchises like Justice League failed to grab audiences. Sony and team were able to introduce a whole new world(s) with a large cast of characters without bogging down viewers with heavy exposition. Their writing and direction truly captured that spirit of comic book storytelling and gives just enough information so we the audience aren't distracted with all the new faces but allowing us to know enough so we can connect and cheer for them as much as we cheer for Miles and Peter. And like other great comic book stories, we are left wanting more. We want to know who all these other characters really are and we can't wait for the next installment in what we hope will be an incredible franchise.