Reviews by BAMF

Notes:
*I saw the trailer for this before it came to Netflix and thought it looked pretty interesting.
*The name is a tad silly, but I mean why not?
*Maisie Williams is always a plus as well if you ask me.
*Plus it's a superhero story of it's own which is cool.
*Apparently it's based on a novel which I do think is surprising in this case.
*Adam Randall also wrote and directed Level Up which I really want to see.
*It's the only credit for Mark Denton and Jonny Stockwood.
*I haven't heard of Joe Barton, but he has another movie coming this year that has an interesting cast.
*Anyways thanks to Netflix I shall dive right in.

Pros:
*It may have a silly name, but it's far from it.
*Maisie Williams is a pleasure to watch as usual.
*I liked the different ways they showed how his powers work.
*This felt very much like a Spider-Man or Kick-Ass meets Watch Dogs sort of story.
*The ending was pretty good and does give me hope for a possible more to come.

Cons:
*I would have liked a little more fight scenes or action.
*It also felt a little too short.
*I hate that rape had to be part of the story...


Verdict:
This was an interesting new superhero origin tale. It's not the typical action type, but more realistic despite of course the powers. I wouldn't mind seeing an expansion to this story in some way. So for fans of superhero movies don't go in expecting action like in Avengers. I do think it's worth checking out though for something new in the genre.

Notes:
*We played this at my theater for awhile although I never checked it out.
*I do recall the ending credits had a very interesting song about cocaine lol.
*Also the poster gives it a very uncomfortable vibe to sit at the movies in.
*It's written and directed by Elizabeth Wood who I haven't heard of, but is apparently directing the upcoming Captain Marvel.
*It has an interesting cast with Justin Bartha and Chris Noth.
*This is another one I decided to watch on Netflix to see if it was any good.

Pros:
*The acting is pretty good.
*Morgan Saylor and Brian Marc are unique and fun to watch.
*The story was interesting.
*It kind of felt very slightly like Requiem for a Dream meets Nymphomaniac.
*It was pretty sexual, but other than the first moment it wasn't overtly sexual.

Cons:
*I despised Justin Bartha and Chris Noth here.
*One scene made me pretty uncomfortable.

Verdict:
I actually really liked this despite a few things here and there. The story kept my attention and I cared for the characters. I really hope to see more of Morgan Saylor and Brian Marc in the future. So I would say it's worth checking out although be aware there are some moments I'm sure some won't like.

Notes:
*I wasn't too sure what to think of this with the trailer not really grabbing me to be honest.
*I mostly didn't care for it because of Melanie Lynskey being kind of boring to me.
*This is Macon Blair's first movie as a director although he wrote a horror movie called Monkey's Paw as well.
*Anyways it's a Netflix original and I was bored so I decided to tune in.

Pros:
*The last 30 or so minutes was the best part for me.
*Macon Blair is actually a pretty decent director who probably took pointers from Jeremy Saulnier.
*Melanie Lynskey was much more interesting here than in her XX segment.
*Elijah Wood is awesome as always.
*In some ways it reminded me of God Bless America.
*The ending was pretty good.

Cons:
*It's not as funny as I was hoping.
*There were moments that could have been improved.

Verdict:
This was better than I expected. I mostly enjoyed it for the last bits, but it overall was more than I expected it to be. It could have been funnier though. Hopefully Macon Blair continues to do this kind of work if he directs more. Maybe if you like Melanie Lynskey it may be more interesting to check out. I would say give it a shot either way as it may surprise you.

Notes:
*Honestly I knew almost nothing about this before watching it.
*All I knew is that people said it was really well done but very sad.
*I decided to go ahead and check this out though since Casey Affleck won for it.
*This is first film I have seen directed by Kenneth Lonergan although I saw his Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle movie that was dreadful.
*I guess he learned from that mistake with this one.
*Anyways let's see what all this fuss is about.

Pros:
*The acting is phenomenal specifically from Casey Affleck of course.
*The whole story is fresh and interesting.

Cons:
*It's very emotionally draining.
*The timeline was a bit annoying to keep track of.
*I think the nephew could have been better as he just seemed typical to me.

Verdict:
I think it was worth checking out mostly because of Casey Affleck. The story pretty emotional and I wasn't expecting to be so drained after watching it. Still it was a good movie. I would say check it out if you are in a really good mood or plan to watch something emotionally uplifting afterwards.

Notes:
*I honestly haven't seen this until now.
*It's one of Bill Paxton's biggest films so in honor of him I decided to check it out finally.
*Of course the cast is excellent.
*Ron Howard directs this and the last film I saw of his was In the Heart of the Sea 2 years ago.
*I find it amusing that both of the book writers have cameos in this.
*William Broyles Jr. also wrote Castaway, Jarhead, Polar Express, and Planet of the Apes (2001).
*Al Reinert also wrote Final Fantasy: Spirits Within which I honestly enjoyed.
*Anyways time to honor Bill Paxton and see what this film has to offer.

Pros:
*Bill Paxton and his memorable lines.
*Some excellent acting.
*It has some funny moments here and there.
*The history of this story is pretty neat though.

Cons:
*It really drags and feels very long.
*Bill Paxton should have had more moments.
*A lot of these films are too much alike.

Verdict:
This is considered a classic. For me though I thought it was an average movie. It's really slow even with intense moments. I watched Hidden Figures last month and the whole thing reminded me of that too much. Kevin Costner and Ed Harris had the same hair style. The stuff with the space shuttle was very similar. The only difference is that dealt with the racism of the time. Anyways it was good, but it could have been more interesting. For a one time watch and for Bill Paxton it was fine.

Notes:
*I loved The Lego Movie when that came out.
*Batman was one of the funniest things about that one.
*So when they were going to go ahead and do a solo film for him I knew I would check it out.
*The cast here is a pretty great selection.
*This is the first movie directed by Chris McKay who also worked on Robot Chicken.
*Seth Grahame-Smith also wrote Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and Dark Shadows.
*Chris McKenna also wrote Igor as well as the upcoming Jumanji and Spider-Man films.
*Erik Sommers will also be writing with Chris McKenna on said films.
*Jared Stern also wrote Wreck-It Ralph, The Internship, The Watch, and Mr. Popper's Penguins.
*This is the first of two for writer John Wittington.
*Now my wife decided this would be what we would watch today.
*Let's see how good it is.

Pros:
*The popculture references were great.
*The way they poked fun at other films and movie characters was great.
*I loved all the inside batfan jokes.
*The fourth wall breaking was fun.
*In fact all the jokes were pretty amusing.

Cons:
*They had gremlins but no Gizmo!
*There were no extra scenes at the end.

Verdict:
It's a pretty amusing spin-off to The Lego Movie. Of course Batman can hold his own as a character. Will Arnett does a great job with the character feature length. It's full of inside jokes for Batman fans, but I still think people will enjoy it even if they aren't. It's pretty amusing throughout and keeps you interested. It was definitely worth checking out.

Notes:
*I have only heard of the idea up until recently.
*Personally I think it's a neat idea for the behinds the scenes to be predominately women.
*The cast has a few recognizable faces that should be interesting.
*My coworkers watched it recently and from what I hear it's pretty entertaining.
*This is the first film I've heard of from Jovanka Vuckovic. (She adapts a story from Jack Ketchum here)
*St. Vincent known for her music actually directs her very own segment here.
*Karyn Kusama directed the unfortunately terrible Aeon Flux and Jennifer's Body although The Invitation was a huge step up!
*This is the first credit for director Sofia Carrillo.
*Roxanne Benjamin also had a segment for Southbound.
*So let's see how this fares in the realm of anthologies.

The Box: Written and Directed by Jovanka Vuckovic (Based on a story from Jack Ketchum)

This one was pretty interesting. It's shrouded in mystery that keeps you guessing. I thought they had so beautiful shots throughout. The story is strange and yet as it goes it gets more interesting. There is one moment I found confusing. Overall it kept me intrigued beginning to end. 7/10

The Birthday Party: Written and Directed by St. Vincent & Co-Written by Roxanne Benjamin

Okay so as directing goes I think St. Vincent did an excellent job. The cinematography was great. The look of the characters was interesting. The execution however failed. I assume it was meant to be a dark comedy, but really it wasn't funny. To be honest it was pretty much boring. Melanie Lynskey wasn't a good lead for it either. There was only one moment that was a little funny. The ending was fine until they tried to make it something funny. 4/10

Don't Fall: Written and Directed by Roxanne Benjamin

Woah now that was insane! This is the most intense one so far and the kind of horror that I was looking for. The acting could be a little better, but hey in horror it tends to be that way. The special FX were pretty nice too. I wasn't sure what to expect from this one. I would have to say it's my favorite though. 8/10

Her Only Living Son: Written and Directed by Karyn Kusama

Now this one was pretty interesting. It got more and more captivating as it went. I am not sure what happened at the end, but I think I have some kind of idea to the story. In fact the story itself is told pretty nicely. The acting here was pretty good as well. This reminded me of Rosemary's Baby meets the Babadook. I still like the previous one the most, but this is a close second. 8/10

Pros:
*The wraparound story (by Sofia Carrillo) was interesting and unique.
*They saved the best for last.
*The stories had interesting ideas.
*I liked the originality of the whole thing.

Cons:
*There isn't much of an explanation for the situations which can get a little tiring.
*Melanie Lynskey is boring and not really funny.
*The segment also could have been better.
*I would have chose to end the segments differently.

Verdict:
It's not a bad anthology. Of course it has a weak segment, but it was actually a fairly interesting anthology. The best was Don't Fall and the worst was The Birthday Party. If you like anthologies I would say give it a shot at least it's not a big collection or takes too much time.

Notes:
*The trailer looked decent.
*It has a few pretty big stars which is cool.
*From the ratings and word of mouth though I heard it was pretty awful.
*Stewart Hendler also directed Halo: Forward Unto Dawn as well as Sorority Row.
*Christopher Yost also wrote Logan and Thor: Dark World.
*Let's see if really is that bad or just people being overcritical.

Pros:
*There are some funny moments here and there.
*It has some interesting moments.
*The acting is fine too from Andy Garcia and Maria Bello of course.

Cons:
*The editing feels out of whack making the whole story feel jumbled.
*It is a very predictable story with not really much originality.
*The whole thing felt a bit too rushed.
*The script is just bad and takes away from what could have been more fun.
*I was really surprised by that given the other work the writer has done.
*I hated the way the view of inside the helmet looked.
*The fight scenes were frankly boring.

Verdict:
I don't think it's the worst thing ever or even this year, but it's far from great. I expected a bit more from this team. I mean it was an interesting watch, but it should have been better. I wouldn't recommend this one as you will just be disappointed.

Notes:
*I will always be a huge fan of Disney so when this was only talked about I was excited.
*The cast is great and I like the idea that most actually fit within where the characters live.
*Chris Williams also directed Big Hero 6.
*As for writing he did Mulan, The Emperor's New Groove films, and Brother Bear.
*John Musker also wrote and directed The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Hercules, Princess and the Frog, and Treasure Planet.
*Don Hall also worked as a director for Big Hero 6 and even the 2011 Winnie the Pooh.
*He worked as a writer for The Emperor's New Groove and Brother Bear as well.
*Ron Clements worked on all the films John Musker did as writer/directer also.
*Jared Bush also wrote this year's Zootopia so he has a pretty big chance of getting an Oscar.
*Pamela Ribon hasn't written much, but she is writing for the upcoming Wreck-It Ralph 2 and the upcoming Smurf movie sequel.
*This is the first film to be credited to Aaron and Jordan Kandell.
*So let's see finally how good this new Disney film is.

Pros:
*I like that they sort of break the fourth wall with dialogue.
*Auli'i Cravalho proves that you don't have to start in live action to prove you have what it takes.
*I loved the soundtrack here! It's very catchy and has a nice rhythm to it.
*The animation is absolutely stunning.
*It has some truly beautiful moments.
*The jokes are great.
*I have to admit this is definitely a new favorite from Disney who seem to always hit the mark.

Cons:
*I can't think of any really.

Verdict:
This new Disney film is very heartwarming. The music is beautiful, the animation is stunning, and the writing is superb. I won't be surprised to see Auli'i Cravalho pop up quite a bit after this. It's definitely a must see for all ages. I'm ashamed I didn't see it any sooner. It's going to be a toss up between this and Zootopia for the winner this year.

Notes:
*The trailer looked funny and I like the cast which is a plus.
*My wife says that it's very silly though.
*It's from Rawson Marshall Thurber who also wrote and directed Dodgeball! Count me in!
*It's the first movie credit as a writer from actor Ike Barinholtz.
*This is the only movie credit for writer David Stassen so far.
*Anyways let's see if this is actually funny or really just silly.

Pros:
*It's a different sort of role for Dwayne Johnson.
*There are some pretty good jokes here and there.
*The pop culture references and such like that were cool.
*The action sequences were creative, but didn't happen often enough.

Cons:
*I wish it had been a bit funnier.
*Dick jokes aren't really that funny anymore.
*It was pretty predictable sadly.

Verdict:
It's a decent movie. It has some good action and laugh out moments, but not enough to really stand out much. A little more action, less dick jokes, and decent humor would have made this one to remember. It may be a good watch if your bored. I wouldn't say go out of your way to see it though.