troy-daniel-bush

Jumanji (1995)

You can leave your world behind.

The cold open, Alan and Sarah's first scene, and the Pod terrified me when I saw this for the first time at the age of six. Having revisited it, I'm honestly happy to say those scenes still get to me.

The concept of the movie is great, but-like a lot of critics back then-I don't think they took it far enough. What if they stayed more in horror territory instead of making it more family friendly? Also-and I remember having the same criticism as a kid to some degree-it's strange to me that almost everything that comes out of the game is not an exaggerated version of a jungle-based animal that exists in the real world, except for the Pod, Spiders, Flowers, and Mosquitoes. Alan even says in that awesome speech, "I've seen things you've only seen in your nightmares. Things you can't even imagine." Maybe it was a budgetary thing, but it would've been cool to see otherworldly interpretations of the other animals that appear.

Despite dumb decisions made by the characters, one in particular being superfluous, plot conveniences, tonal dissonance, childish humor, and dated computer-generated effects, this movie really isn't bad. And it definitely has things to appreciate about it. Like how they connected Van Pelt to Alan's father from a storytelling perspective. More could've been done with that, however. It's also very nostalgic for me.

Miss you, Robin. You're one of my heroes.

Hellboy (2004)

Second date, no tongue!

One of my favorite Del Toro movies that has no right being as good as it is, and has everything that you've come to expect from him!

Ron Perlman absolutely rocks this character! He was born to play it as much as Ryan Reynolds was born to play Deadpool.

Hellboy is a very likable character in this movie. A lovesick bruiser who loves cats and corny jokes. And all the side characters have something to offer; and they balance him out perfectly.

What really makes the movie work is that it doesn't take itself super-seriously. But the serious moments in the film do hit.

And wow, the majority of the digital effects and all of the practical effects really hold up!

I watched both the Theatrical Cut and the Director's. I prefer the former. The scenes added to the ladder-though fun-kind of ruined the pacing.

(Poor Selma Blair; so talented and beautiful.)

Helluva Boss (2019)

"Let's three-way!"

(I lost my mind when I heard Richard Horvitz's voice for the first time. I started re-watching Invader Zim, and now all I can hear is Moxxie saying, "Okay, first of all, dad: I'm bisexual.")

I like this more than Hazbin Hotel. Is it necessarily better on an objective level? I don't know. But I know I like it more.

The reason being is because of the humor. I'm laughing out loud at least once per episode. In comparison, the humor is more, raunchy, morbid, and shocking than Hazbin, and that's what I want. In fairness, Vivienne has said she intended this show to be aimed more towards boys, and for Hazbin Hotel to be aimed more towards girls. So that has something to do with it.

All the actors do a great job, and you can tell they're having the time of their lives. Brandon Rogers absolutely steals the show as Blitzo, who might be my favorite character. Stolas is a close-second.

Speaking of, every character is likable and memorable. The antagonists are all hatable and evil. However, Millie feels underwritten. I want to know more about what makes her tick because she seems mostly happy-go-lucky all the time. I don't agree with the criticism that Vivienne can't write female characters. Because... Loona, Vaggie, and Charlie. Hell, to some extent, Verosika. Just saying...

I love every single song. "Two Minutes Notice" is easily my favorite. It was stuck in my head for two days straight.

Can't wait for the rest of Season 2! Don't stop what you're doing, Viv!

Hazbin Hotel (2019)

It's nice.

Humor is totally a subjective thing and my feelings towards the humor in this show are-overall-mixed.

Most of the jokes don't land for me personally, but I'm not cringing when that happens. I'm thinking to myself, "Eh. Not for me, but I can see why somebody would find that funny." I definitely appreciate the raunchy and morbid humor, but it never gets extreme enough for my liking.

The majority of the songs-while not bad-aren't very memorable to me.

With all that said...

The jokes that really did it for me were the quick and simple ones. There was also humor to be found in the actors' delivery-specifically Erika Henningsen's, Keith David's, Alex Brightman's, and Blake Roman's.

Every single one of the characters is distinct and memorable. The protagonists are likable and fun. The villains range from charismatic to absolutely despicable. And everyone has an appealing design, and it is just one example of the amount of effort Vivienne and her crew put into this show. My favorite is Lucifer. I'm like him in a lot of ways. It took a while for me to decide on a favorite character, which is a great sign!

The performances are all great. You can tell the actors are having a good time; and each one is well-cast.

The animation is fantastic.

There are some fun twists and turns in the story. The story itself is simple, but that's not a bad thing. Especially when it's effective in its beats and has good characters.

The action scenes are surprisingly exciting, as well.

My favorite song would have to be "Loser, baby." (I want Keith David's voice to be the voice of my conscience.)

Alien: Romulus (2024)

Still waiting...

Aliens remains the last good movie of this franchise. (And that's not an opinion.)

Some cool stuff, it looks nice-overall-and there are some impressive practical effects. But it's stupid fan-service bullcrap with unlikable characters making dumb decisions.

The Alien creatures weren't even a threat! Alien Covenant was guilty of that, too! Come on! Hell, they felt like an afterthought, honestly. Like they were shoved in there at the last minute.

You had cool ideas that could have been taken further!

Breaks several Screenwriting 101 rules.

That Offspring was so stupid.

Bad dialogue.

And as if this chick could be anything like Ripley. There's only ONE Ripley! And she turned into a badass over the course of two movies! You can't turn her into a badass in five minutes! Come on!

Longlegs (2024)

People are calling THIS a masterpiece?

The interesting aesthetic doesn't mean anything when your movie is plagued with a boring, self-important, and confusing script with dumb twists and wasted cool ideas. As well as abysmal pacing, underdeveloped and superfluous characters, and a mostly unmotivated cast. Top it all off with a bland protagonist and you have yourself a creative misfire. The only actor who was having any fun might be scary to a kid. But to an adult who knows better, absolutely hilarious. He was the ONLY entertaining aspect of the movie.

Here's a waste: Nicolas Cage as a malformed, satanic serial killer.

Reminded me a lot of 8MM and The Little Things. At least this didn't feel like a Se7en rip-off... Mostly. The way the end credits rolled... Or a rip-off of Nocturnal Animals.

Also, Bang a Gong at the end? WHAT?!

Gojira -1.0 (2023)

Not as good as I had hoped

The creators of this film were clearly very passionate, and what they managed to pull off with such a limited budget is very impressive.

It starts strong but fizzles out; Godzilla was fairly agile and threatening.

You can see how the movie was inspired by Miyazaki's and Spielberg's films, and that says something about the passion the screenwriter had. There are things to appreciate. But it was overdramatic. That's my biggest problem. They even did that cheesy thing where the main guy turns his back to the person he reveals his backstory to.

Not to mention there's quite a few annoying conveniences, an intrusive score, obvious dubbing, on-the-nose dialogue, and it feels longer than it is.

Civil War (2024)

Needed more, Mister Garland.

I'll watch it again like all of Garland's films.

There's lots to love and appreciate, but the biggest problem is you don't know much about the main characters, nor do you really care about them.

I kinda cared about Jessie. And any innocents who were affected.

It's clear that the main character is motivated by selfish reasons, which really isn't a bad thing because we don't need to agree with the main character, we just have to understand them. But unfortunately Kirsten Dunst's character doesn't have much depth to her.

And you learn close to nothing about the factions. Or the authoritarian President.

Invader ZIM: Enter the Florpus (2019)

BEHOLD THIS VICTORY!

It never gets as dark as the show was able to, but that doesn't stop it from being just as good.

The characters are treated with respect.

The voice actors give it their all. Richard Horvitz absolutely knocks it out of the park as always.

The varied humor is hilarious.

All the scenery is beautiful.

The animation is immaculate.

The music is fitting and used appropriately.

And perhaps my favorite aspect-Zim actually felt like a threat. Who knew that was possible? It's like he grew as a character; learning from his pst mistakes. ("Behold my victory!" That line combined with the image associated with it gave me chills.)

(Even if I wasn't a fan of the original show, I still would've enjoyed this movie. It's just down my alley.)

Troy (2004)

A great story told by the wrong people

Brian Cox is awesome but this hunk of crap suffers from a boring, rushed, and hollow plot and story. And those aren't the only things that are poorly developed. I felt nothing for the characters except for apathy and hatred. But what do you expect from a movie written by David Benioff?

What's especially frustrating is this cast is full of great actors and they're all wasted! This only exacerbates the emotions I feel for their characters.

I especially hated Paris. Screw him! "He did it for love!" OK! And he condemned his people to death! How am I supposed to root for him?! Oh, he thought the Trojans could beat the Greeks with their defenses? Trojans still died! And he ruined his father's plans for peace just to get into Diane Kruger's pants. At least Helen tried to leave to prevent anyone else from dying.

But what do you expect from a movie written by David Benioff?

Brian Cox was the only actor I took seriously. Everyone else was not great; even Brad Pitt! And I don't like saying that!

Titanic (1997)

The stories were true.

I've watched it for the first time ever, and I have to say that I am thoroughly impressed.

My amazement has more to do with the technical aspects of the movie. Not to say anything about the movie was particularly bad, I was just marveled at what James and his team managed to do. There are so many points where I was watching this, and I thought to myself, "How did they do that?" I mean, was this as nightmarish to make as The Abyss was?! (That movie is underrated, by the way.)

All of the acting is great. Kate Winslet kinda steals the show for me. (And holy crap, she's beautiful.) She said she was disappointed with her acting in this movie. I think she's being a little hard on herself.

The characters are distinct and memorable.

It doesn't feel too long or too short. (TWSS)

The score is fantastic.

It's corny and melodramatic, but the movie seems to be aware that that's the case.

I didn't cry but I did feel the intended emotions.

There's some green screen in there that shows its age. But for the most part-especially the practical stuff-the effects hold up extraordinarily well.

The sinking of the Titanic felt stressful, arduous, prolonged, and claustrophobic. As it did for all the people who were on it, no doubt.

And yes: HE COULD'VE FIT ON THE DOOR!

Personally, I like and connect with other James Cameron movies more, but I will definitely be watching this again.

Aliens (1986)

NOT one of the best sci-fi action films ever made...

No. It's one of the best MOVIES ever made.

My favorite James Cameron film, and one of my top ten!

I saw it for the first time when I was seven, and despite it causing me a lot of sleepless nights, it was a magical experience. Hell, part of the reason it was magical was because it scared me.

Sure, it's corny in places. But when it's corny, it's as such in the best way possible!

It has one of the best scores ever conceived! Likable characters, fun dialogue, and amazing practical effects that hold up extraordinarily-well to this day. And, as a bonus, it features one of the most badass chicks in all of cinema! (Take that, Jennifer Lawrence!) You know what? You could say it features TWO of the most badass chicks in all of cinema! Maybe three if you want to count Vazquez! I just might.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

"Anyone can wear the mask."

I like that line! It made me feel something.

My first time watching this ever and I really enjoyed it. (Duh, right?) A unique style of animation that you'd think would be a detriment to the action scenes, but it really isn't.

The action scenes were a lot of fun.

Most of the jokes landed for me. I especially enjoyed the slapstick. The birds... LOL!

All of the voice acting is great, for the most part. I especially liked Jake Johnson, Nicolas Cage, Kathryn Hahn, and Hailee Steinfeld.

Likeable characters with satisfying arcs.

Miles was a fun protagonist to follow

My favorite character was Noir Spiderman. And I felt Nicolas Cage was a good choice for that character. His voice made him sound old-fashioned, and his voice helped make the character funny without even trying.

I love how Miles learns how to be Spider-Man by reading Spider-Man comics.

The twist with Prowler was unexpected.

Speaking of twists, when the Doctor revealed her name to be Olivia Octavius I was like, "Oh crap."

I like most of the character designs.

I liked the music.

However...

The more I think about it, the more I think the usage of a certain licensed song was inappropriate. I'm aware that this is a common criticism and it's common for a reason. It happens at a moment in the film, where it supposed to be emotionally resonant, and it kind of takes away from the intended impact of the scene.

I think the movie feels longer than it is. That might change on my second watch.

I personally did not like this movie's choice of having Kingpin as the main villain at all. I feel like there are more threatening villains they could've chosen, especially in this movie. I wish the main villain was just Kathryn Hahn's Doc Ock. I found her threatening-enough, as well as deliciously sadistic. And I found Kingpin's design to be incredibly distracting. In all honest, I cannot stand his design. Hahn's Doc Ock looked awesome. I also didn't like Goblin's design. Why is he giant? And where's his glider? Or Scorpion's. I don't like the fact he looks like the Scorpion King at the end of The Mummy Returns.

While I didn't mind the Porky Pig Spider-Man, John Mulaney's voice was very distracting. It reminded me of Steve Buscemi in Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. (Don't watch that, by the way. Unless you're a masochist. Or if you want to know how to not write a script.)

How did Kingpin teleport out of his van before shooting his gun? There was no sound from the car door opening or closing. Then again, maybe it's cartoon logic? I mean, how does he even fit in that tiny car? Lol. Also, during that scene, shouldn't have Miles' Spidey-Sense gone off? Or does that only work if the gun is being pointed at him? The slow-motion following the gunshot was unintentionally funny, too.

I did not feel for Kingpin's plight whatsoever, and that's not a result of his character design. I just didn't like him or his role in the film.

Also, when you break down the plot, it's pretty standard. However, the animation style, characters, action, and humor make the generic plot totally worth it.

Spider-Man 2 is still my favorite Spider-Man. Yeah, I have nostalgia for the Raimi Spiderman movies, and yeah, I am a Raimi shill. But even if those things weren't true, Spider-Man 2 would still be my favorite. The poignant story, the music, action, the villain, Alfred Molina's performance, etc. Plus, there are things in it I personally connect with. Although, Gwen Stacy in this movie is a lot more likeable love-interest than Mary Jane.

Looking forward to watching Across the Spiderverse. Apparently, it's darker than the first one, and I love me some darkness.

Shark Tale (2004)

A pathetic mistake.

I was bored by this movie as a kid. It made me want to watch Finding Nemo. I remember thinking: "Why are they living and moving like people do?" Several jokes made me cringe. It felt so much longer than it really is. One time me and a bunch of friends were having a sleepover and my friend put on this movie because it was his birthday and I thought, "No. Please no."

Rewatching it as an adult with a better understanding of filmmaking, I see how much is really wrong with this movie. How much? Everything. It fails miserably with everything it sets out to do. And this isn't a matter of opinion. You are wrong if you think this is a good movie. Change your answer to, "I like it." Because this movie is objectively bad. It's one of several examples I use against the argument, "A movie can't be objectively bad."

I can't remember if I watched this or Shrek the Third first, but watching either that movie or this one was a groundbreaking experience for me. It made me see that I can dislike a movie.

And due to fairly recent events, I'm not the biggest fan of Will Smith. Under no circumstances should you ever EVER assault someone. He should've been hauled away in handcuffs. What a child! And now it just looks so ugly. As ugly as the character designs.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)

Only watch the last 30 minutes.

Only the last thirty minutes are any good.

I wanted Sam to die throughout the movie. He wouldn't shut up and he screams almost every line. Too bad his plot armor was in the stratosphere. I also don't buy the idea that a person like him would land someone as good-looking as the girl character, whose name does not matter to me whatsoever because her character was terrible and her acting sucked.

All of the humans are annoying. Not only are their characters poorly-written, none of the performances are any good. Not even from Frances McDormand, which caught me so off -guard. She is way too good for a movie like this.

Writers, you couldn't just write a different character for the love interest? You just replaced Michaela's name. That's all you did!

The Decepticons did not need human collaborators.

Personal point: That's not my Soundwave.

The plot makes no sense!

The dialogue is absolutely horrible.

• "Somehow they must've picked up that fuel rod."
• "You got some balls."
• "Deep wang."
• "All I want is to be back in charge."
• "Class dismissed."
• "Shoot 'em, B! Shoot 'em! Shoot 'em!"
• "I'll cut out your heart."

Thanks for assassinating Optimus' character. He would not say something like, "We'll kill them all." He would never execute someone in cold blood. Ever! He would never kill Megatron after the latter saved him. (They should've went with the ending they had in one of the earlier drafts of the script where Optimus and Megatron agree to a peace. Two enemies putting their differences aside to fight a bigger threat. That's always incredibly satisfying to watch. It's like a secret kink for me. This movie would be a point higher for me if they had done that.)

Come to think of it, they assassinated Megatron's character, too. I don't understand why Megatron would just take crap from Sentinel, or allow himself to be beaten by him.

Shockwave was cool but barely does anything.

It's too long! 2 1/2 hours?! Are you kidding me, Michael?

All of the robots are cool. Though, I have to ask why a number of the Decepticons are snarling, drooling animals. They look like a completely different species.

I like that it's brutally violent. And all the robots are cool. If only the movie only focused on them.

Some of the music is good.

The best acting came from Peter Cullen, Hugo Weaving, and Leonard Nimoy, because of course.

Bumblebee (2018)

Same level of quality as the Bayverse films!

There's something wrong with every scene in this movie in terms of writing. The screenplay really sucks; which is both a surprise, and not a surprise. It was written by Christina Hodson (The Flash (2023), Birds of Prey, and Shut In.) She can't write. However, she received help from Kelly Fremon Craig who wrote and directed Edge of Seventeen, and that was a great movie, especially in terms of writing. And that also starred Hailee Steinfeld. But apart from maybe the emotional scenes, she didn't have much say in the script. If they had a better writer attached to the project, or if they just hired Craig, it would've been so much better!

"It's a kid's movie. Stop being so critical." If you think this way, you're wrong and stupid. "Yeah, kids movies are never good." Oh wait: Fantastic Mr. Fox, WALL-E, The Lego Movie, Aladdin, Coraline, The Lion King, etc.

The villains aren't exactly smart and effective in what they do. I feel like they're not even trying to win. Same can be said about Bumblebee in places.

• Yeah, Bumblebee. Stab Blitzwing in the shoulder and back. Don't go for his head or neck. (And don't you make that argument, "It's a kid's movie. You can't show that." Dropkick gets his arms torn off, and Cliffjumper gets cut in half.)

• Take your time killing your foe, Shatter! (Don't you just love plot armor?)

• Don't interrogate him, Blitzwing! Just rip out his voice transmitter!

• Don't fly up as he throws that chain at you, Dropkick!

• Just do nothing as he rips one of the missiles out of your arms and sticks it in you, Blitzwing.

• "That's not the Air Force." Just tell them to get the hell out of there!!

Why are the Cybertronians speaking English on their planet? Oh, it's a kid's movie? I don't care.

Why did the movie tell us we were on Cybertron? "Thanks! I thought I was in Egypt!"

Why did this movie feel the need to wrip out his transmitter? What's the point? I thought these movies aren't supposed to be connected to the Bayverse?

The fight scenes, while having some cool moments, were kind of clunky.

Lots of bad dialogue: "Hey, buddy. Are you still in there?" No, he shed his skin! "After I kill you, I kill her!" Etc.

No bully would ever bring up a dead parent to offend their victim! Bullies are pathetic, sadistic losers, but they still have a soul.

There are scenes that were ripped straight out of Iron Giant.

John Cena's character has a point: "They're called Decepticons." EXACTLY!!! They're clearly bad!!

Why does his blaster turn humans into water?

I could go on and on, but I'm not going to, for the sake of my happiness and my fingers.

With all of that said, Hailee Steinfeld is really good in it, as per typical. Angela Bassett did a good job voicing Shatter, but she's good in everything. Justin Theroux was fun as Dropkick.

I find it strange when the female character who is being bullied is more attractive than the supposed hot girl bully.

The 80's aesthetic adds something!

John Cena looked like he was having fun.

This is a personal point, but I would've had a fan-favorite Decepticon be the antagonist. Like Soundwave! He's awesome!! If Hal 9500 was a Decepticon. Or maybe keep Blitzwing around longer?

Jabberwocky (1977)

A disappointment.

It starts strong. It gave me exactly what I was expecting: Monty Python meets Evil Dead. But the rest of the movie really isn't like that.

The rest of the movie was irritatingly repetitive with dumb gags that don't land. And some of them go on for too long. The story felt stretched-out, and it ultimately takes forever to do nothing; or perhaps to do something that is so unsatisfying.

And for a movie named "Jabberwocky", the titular monster only has three scenes. Also, why have the whole movie take place in this village? Have it take place during the hunt for the creature.

Why don't they hunt the monster in the woods where all the attacks occurred?

The effect for the creature was kinda cool. And I like how they reveal it from Dennis' perspective through the knight's helmet. And some of the gore effects were pretty cool for the time.

I don't regret watching this, and I don't regret buying the Criterion. And I still love Terry Gilliam and his crew of goofballs, and 12 Monkeys remains my favorite of his. I don't think that's going to change. Looking forward to watching Time Bandits.

Transformers (2007)

It was better in my memory.

If Spielberg hadn't put reins on Bay it could've been significantly worse.

This was the coolest thing ever to me as a kid. Now that my film brain has evolved, and since I'm fully capable of forgoing the nostalgia goggles, I can see the movie for what it is.

I can't help but wonder what this movie would be like if Spielberg helmed the entire thing, and if Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman hadn't written it. (Eagle Eye, Star Trek: Into Darkness, The Mummy (2017), and The Amazing Spider-Man 2.) There are moments in this movie where it feels kind of awe-inspiring in terms of music and presentation. Like when Sam and Michaela meet the Autobots. It could've been an epic sci-fi adventure like Jurassic Park. And if a better writer had been attached, the characters would've been better-realized and a lot more likable. Like what if James Gunn wrote it? Seems like something he could pull off, especially nowadays.

The story has a bunch of plotholes.

There's a lot of bad dialogue.

Perverted camera angles.

Sam has plot-armor for centuries.

The characters aren't well-developed or particularly likable. Some are straight-up annoying.

The pacing sucks.

There's a little bit of racism. "We don't speak Spanish."

There's a totally unnecessary subplot with a hot Australian hacker. (Honestly surprised Bay didn't shoot her like a sex object.)

A lot of the comedy doesn't land.

The acting isn't the best.

The way Bay shoots product placement is incredibly annoying.

Also, personal point, I hate that they gave Optimus lips. Even when I was a kid I didn't like that. I prefer just the faceplate.

All that said, these special effects hold up extraordinarily well! It's probably going to be a long time before the movie starts showing its age.

The Decepticons and Autobots are all cool and have neat designs--mostly. Some have more personality than others but the ones that do are fun. (The DS games gave the Decepticons more personality.) I think more could've been done with all of them. The concept of Barricade-the police car-is kind of scary.

Peter Cullen and Hugo Weaving are both great, but that's not a surprise at all.

The action scenes are very entertaining!

The music is great!

When the Autobots were goofing around the Witwicky property, that was kinda funny.

There is some beautiful cinematography!

You really feel like the humans are there with the Transformers.

Evil Dead Rise (2023)

Awesome.

A hard R that gives Evil Dead fans exactly what they're looking for, will encourage people to check out the older films, and offers a fresh take.

You can tell the people making it had nothing but love for the earlier films. The Deadites are perfect. You could swear Sam Raimi directed it himself, too. The gore is satisfying! The special effects both digital and practical-especially the practical effects-were fantastic!

The homage it pays to the original trilogy never feels forced.

There are some memorable lines from the Deadites!

There's violence in this that is legitimately disturbing and gross.

There were fun set-ups and payoffs.

Most of the acting was really good! Elissa Sutherland was amazing!! You totally think she's possessed! And Lily Sullivan was awesome.

You care if the characters die. They're likable and smart.

The makeup was great!

The music was effective, perfect for an Evil Dead movie, and appropriately used!

Can't wait for the next one! I doubt any new entries will hold a candle to any of the films in the original trilogy, but we'll see, I guess.

It's very fast-paced!

Like I said, this movie is exactly what it should be!

And I love the Shining reference! That didn't feel forced either!

My only real criticisms lie with how the little girl character was treated and the actor Morgan Davies: I never felt like the little girl was in danger of dying, and she should have died when the creature had the chainsaw. And Davies kinda sucked. He gets stabbed and he's not screaming his lungs out?! Come on!!

Also, the reboot by Fede Alvarez sucked. It's just a boring, dull rehash that has some OK moments of gore.

Extraction 2 (2023)

If I were a woman, I'd have Chris' children.

It's like if Call of Duty® was made into a good movie.

Just like the first one, it succeeds in what it aims to be. The fight choreography is impressive, and the violence is brutal. It flies by. Chris Hemsworth gives a pretty good performance. And the characters-at least the main ones-are simple but likable. Which is all you need for a movie like this.

However, I think this is an improvement over its predecessor. The one-take action scenes are improved. It's a little more difficult to notice where the cuts are. The kills are a lot more brutal and creative. And the Nagazi felt like a legitimate threat. Also, personal point, I love me some badass chicks, and not only does Nik kick more ass in this movie than she did in the first one, but the ex-wife's sister kicks some ass herself. And it's a good thing the movie is aware of how Nik has to struggle to fight full-grown men because she's only half their size. Take notes, Hollywood.

The drama was pretty cheesy. The whole family drama thing kinda drags down the movie.

Also, Idris Elba... Come on. As soon as he came on I was like, "Yes! This movie is already better than the first one!" Him and Hemsworth onscreen together, the sex appeal is off the charts! I'd have that guy's children, too!

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

It might be my favorite of the three!

It's amazing to see how far James Gunn has come since making Slither. He goes from making these gory, campy action and horror movies, and now he's head of the DCEU, and making these big-budget, ambitious studio projects for DC and MARVEL with complete creative freedom. If these aren't signs of his talents then I don't know what is.

Oftentimes the third entry in a trilogy is the worst, but I think it might be the opposite case here!

I'm not joking, this movie had me in tears because I was either so sad or so happy!

All of the characters are given a chance to shine! You can tell James Gunn has nothing but love and respect for these characters!

Nearly all of the jokes hit bullseyes!

There is some legitimately disturbing imagery in this movie!

All of the actors give it their all, and there isn't a single weak link amongst them! And you can tell everyone on-screen was having a blast and that just adds to the experience.

It has been a long time since I've despised a villain!

The makeup and practical effects are INSANE!!

The digital effects are flawless!

The movie flies by!

The action scenes are fun and sometimes brutal. There's an incredibly satisfying single-take action scene that brought my jaw to the floor!

This is some of the best directing James Gunn has given us!

There is excellent cinematography!

I have one very minor criticism: Some jokes were injected in at inappropriate moments.

It's my favorite movie of the year so far!

Go watch it!

The Lego Movie (2014)

It might go on to become a classic!

A smartly-written and beautifully animated satire with memorable characters, hilarious gags, and a talented cast that clearly had fun with the material. And the filmmakers' love for Legos, action movies, and animated films shines through in more ways than one.

While all of the voice-acting was great and everyone had a distinct character, Liam Neeson steals the show for me, and Bad Cop was my favorite character in the whole movie.

It was one of those rare movies where I had high hopes going into the theater, and my expectations were met and surpassed.

Where the movie goes is incredibly satisfying and unpredictable, as well.

Hereditary (2018)

A great start to your career, Mr. Aster.

A gut-wrenching drama that only gets better the more times you watch it, and the more time you spend thinking about it. There are so many subtle aspects that blow your mind. And as far as first movies go, it's very impressive.

What keeps me from giving it a 10 is the fact Alex Wolff sucks at points. He could look scared, but he couldn't cry. No one else was bad at any point. Not even the little girl! She was actually great! Toni Collette steals the show, though! The computer generated effects were inconsistent. Some looked, some looked pretty good. I also didn't find the movie scary. But granted I'm not someone who's easily scared so that might just be my bias.

Ari Aster is definitely a guy with talent and I'm looking forward to seeing Beau is Afraid, and the Director's Cut of Midsommar.

Super (2010)

My boy has come a long way!

Not James Gunn's best movie, but, as expected, it was really good.

The characters are fun and likable.

You can tell each and every actor had a great time with the material they were given.

The humor and violence of the movie was unrestrained. There was stuff in this movie that was equal-parts disturbing and darkly comedic, which is definitely a credit to James Gunn's script. Speaking of good writing, the movie manages to produce genuine emotion, which definitely caught me off-guard. And there are quite a few moments in this movie that go in directions you don't expect.

Ellen Page steals the show! Her performance and character were both hilarious and scary. She gave a few great performances in her career, and this one is definitely my favorite.

Kevin Bacon was an absolute joy to watch! He brought a lot of energy to his character and fit the role really well! If Ellen Page didn't hijack the movie he would've.

However, the presentation felt a little inconsistent. It went from feeling a little grounded to being very homage-y by the end. (Perhaps I'm looking at the wrong way.)

I consider myself to be a fan of James Gunn, and it's great to see how far he's come in his career. He made these cheesy, gory horror comedies and action comedies on low budgets, and now he's making these ambitious, big-budget studio projects with complete creative freedom! I'm very much looking forward to seeing what he's going to do with the DCEU!

One last thing: The opening title sequence was awesome!

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

My man has an ocean fetish.

It might end up being James Cameron's worst movie for me. I haven't seen True Lies in a few years, and I haven't seen Titanic yet.

What I can say is that I don't think this is a good movie, but I like it. Objectively speaking, it's not well-written. Probably because Cameron worked with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver who are hacks. (They helped write Jurassic World, which is garbage. And they wrote the Planet of the Apes reboot trilogy, each entry of which is nowhere near as good as people think.) And the movie is an hour longer than it should be.

The majority of the movie should've been in Na'vi. No, they wouldn't have to learn the language. Just say the lines as they're written, and annunciate. "Oh, but people don't like reading subtitles." Screw them. It would've made the movie better on an objective level. It would've made sense!

But what keeps me from fully hating this movie are the special effects, the ambition, themes of family and sacrifice, the action scenes, the simple but effective storyline, sense of discovery, and some of the performances. Most of acting was pretty bad or just unspecial, but Kate Winslet, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, and Zoe Saldaña gave the best performances in the whole movie. Just like she did with the first one, Zoe Saldaña steals the show. Her acting is very energetic and expressive.

The last hour of the movie kicks ass!

Also, personal point, I have a special place in my heart for James Cameron's movies. They connect with me on a personal level. Sure, they can be really corny but I like his corniness. And for that reason, because I love the ocean and animals, as well as the positives that I have listed, I will watch this movie again. And I will buy it on Blu-ray to support the artists, and to watch the behind the scenes.

I find it funny that he said he never wanted to do a movie like The Abyss ever again, yet years later he would make Titanic and then much later made this.