Chewbecca

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Disappointing. I read through the whole book because I wanted to learn about Cuban history, it is a good-ish introduction guide but nothing more. More complaints than compliments. Firstly, the chronology is messy and hard to follow and she often bounces back and forth in time in her narrative. Secondly, where's the action at? So many opportunities to talk in depth about numerous conflicts and revolutions and yet she glazes over the interesting details to instead focus on random things like the story of the virgin Mary washing up on the beach and becoming a shrine. No harm in telling that story either, but how comes that gets almost a whole chapter dedicated it to it and then the battles for Havana (all of them) are summarised in short sentences. Last complaint however is that this often doesn't come across as the history of Cuba, but the history of race relations in Cuba. The story is constantly diverted away from what is happening to re focus on how the events specifically affected black people, and notable black people who played a part. Again there's no harm in mentioning this but it garners so much attention in this book that that's why I say she should of just written a study on black Cuban history. This book falls into a tiresome trap of reflecting the authors own biases too transparently, and all of the black people are made to look like faultless heroes/victims and all of the white people are literally like 2D Disney villains; they are all portrayed as characteurs and don't feel like the real, complex individuals that they were. The facts in this book are here, she isn't lying at all, and it's a good starting point in Cuban history but the distortion is painfully apparent. It needs to be more impartial, and it needs to spend more time focusing on the important events going on, rather than the random peasants and shopkeepers she likes to bring up constantly in narrative only to never mention any of them again. Often just reads as a list of names and stuff than a cohesive history book.

Cuba: An American History

It's fun, not a film you take seriously but enjoyable. Verges on YA at times especially with the romance plot which could of been condensed. It was rushed in places as well. However most of the scenes were entertaining and it was great watching David go crazy like any teenager would with those powers. His character arc was okay, although he is still ultimately self serving in the end. It would of been more interesting if he had started using his powers to save people by the end of the movie rather than just keep mucking around. Also... wtf did he do to Giffin? That guy was the only sensible one and saved his life multiple times and in return David leaves him tied up in electric cables in the middle of an active war zone. If Giffin died David is definitely not the hero of this story. If Giffin was saved by somebody else, surely it's going to be mega awkward when they cross paths again. The only redeeming ending would of been for David to retrieve Giffin, but I'd of preferred an ending where David failed to save his gf and he goes back to get Giffin and they do it together, because frankly without that man the whole movie would of ended halfway through the run time and the ending gives him zero credit. David has some serious sidekick vibes... the movie would of been 5 out of 5 for me if the production quality and cast were the same, but the story was more focused on the world building and David and Giffin learning to become ultimate paladin hunters imo

Jumper

The cinematography is lovely, the setting is beautiful, the period drama element is wholesome. If I'm completely honest, I'd of preferred this to be a period movie with a natural disaster ending or even a supernatural element. I don't take inherent issue with the plot perse and it presents some well choreographed moments of tension between the characters. However too many aspects of the movie just don't seem realistic. The descent into madness happens at such a rushed pace and feels very forced. Given that everything the lightkeepers do is in self defence, and that it was literally kill or be killed, I'd of expected in reality that they'd feel more relief, but they immediately snapped and went completely nutty. Granted I've never personally killed anyone so I don't really know what it's like - although I'll assume director never has either! The speed at which this entire situation escalates is dubious, and the plot in places definitely feels rushed. The other thing that let's it down is simply how deeply depressing it is. The entire thing is doused in misery, becoming increasingly more horrific when the problems they face often had frustratingly simple solutions. The entire ending comes about after a serious of misfortune and terrible judgement on the part of the characters- it had potential, but ultimately ended in preaching the audience about greed and there being a fruitless conclusion that satisfied nothing.

The Vanishing

Sharknado

I watched this dubbed in another language which probably didn't help the experience but given that I didn't understand what was happening all I noticed was that the Gorilla kept changing sizes one minute he was a normal sized gorilla that fit on the plane, the next he was bigger than a sky scraper, and then he was a bit smaller again but still not small enough to fit in a plane. I couldn't figure out what the lizard thing with boar tusks was supposed to be but it ate missiles like cereal and still got killed by a stick. The dog was dissapointing I wish it ate more people but it can glide like a flying squirrel for some reason. The film is very grey tone. They wimp out at the end and can't let the gorilla die.

Rampage

The main characters in this film coke across as complete psychopaths. At the beginning of the film, one of the friends gets bitten by a random kid but none of them react to this nor suggest that he go to ER. He doesn't even clean it properly. Then at the cabin this COD gamer dude nearly kills bite mark man by misfiring his gun and the reaction to that is also so underwhelming. The gun in question has unlimited ammunition except for at the end of the film when it's actually needed (but then the ammo magically returns when it's convenient to the plot again). COD dude then runs off alone to pretend to be spec ops in the woods, accidentally shoots a sick man and ABANDONS him to die. He's then laughing and joking with his friends that night as if nothing happened! What's worse, when the shot sick man somehow stumbles upon the cabin they're staying in, the group unanimously murder him by threatening him with a gun, pushing him out, then when he tries to take their car beating both him and the car with a baseball bat, shooting at him again, throwing fuel over him and setting him on fire. They then go back indoors, sleep it off and decide not to call 911. One girl is the only one to get upset, but her boyfriend emotionlessly reassures her that the murder was in fact an unavoidable accident and that it was justified because the guy was "gonna die anyway" and she doesnt walk out on him on the spot. COD dude is toasting marshmallows, he dont care. They then all 1 by 1 get sick. At several points in the film they find people who could help them but always turn down the help or just lie. Two of the guys find a farmer woman like 20 minutes down the road who offers to drive into town and get them a mechanic but they turn her down when they realise the man they murdered was her cousin (they could just not tell her). They return and lie to the rest of the group and pretend that they never spoke to her (why?!). One of the girls gets sick, so they lock her in a shed, everything goes crazy and yet they still wait ANOTHER night and still nobody calls for help. Girls boyfriend knows about the old farmer woman down the road but would rather let his girlfriend be devoured by a skin eating disease than go back to the same farmer woman for help. Then while his girlfriend is slowly and painfully dying alone in a shed, he has sex with her friend. Beautiful romantic relationship they have. Ending is mental, everyone just gets even more stupid, everyone dies. Plot twist at the end is that the girl who they locked in the shed was uploading selfies of her literally rotting away on her phone and they actually made it to the Internet... so why didn't she call for help?! And how did she take a first person perspective photo of her literally gritting murdered and upload it?! This movie made my brain hurt and that's only half the reasons why.

Cabin Fever

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