Ryan's Movie Blog: July 2016

Saturday, 30 July 2016

Movie Review: Nerve (2016)

Newest Review is LIVE!!! It's truth or dare without the truth and on the internet

Hello All,

I got nothing for this one, let’s just get right to it shall we?

Plot Summary - High Schooler Vee (Emma Roberts), after being humiliated in front of her crush, decides to sign up as a player for an online version of Truth or Dare. The game is simply known as Nerve, and the idea of it is that players complete dares for money, and watchers pay to watch and committee vote dares for the players. When she runs into fellow player Ian (Dave Franco) and has to team up with him, they take a tour around New York as the game ultimately begins to unwinds into danger as they have to figure out how to win and survive.

Pros - The cast is pretty solid, as they have a decently diverse bunch of characters to help tell the story. The look of the film is pretty interesting as well, as it diversifies the look of the city, and the way the world looks through the eyes of the game as well. Some of the stunts they have to pull off in the film are intense as well, as a few of them had me clutching the seat intensely.

Cons - The story is not great, and it gets told in rather clunky methods. Nothing about it really surprised me, and it honestly misses out on a lot of potential with the concept. It also really doesn’t try and adhere to any sense of logic, it just says things about how the game works and just expects you to go along with it because technology. The conflicts of the characters are also not great, as again their motivations are just broad stroked. Just like Bad Moms, there was also a ridiculous number of musical montages.

Final Score - 5/10

This is a film that is the definition of mediocre. It relies on style over substance and while it isn’t the worse movie ever, I’d call it watch at your own risk.

Next - Lights Out. Jesus Christ I’m not looking forward to this.

Links:

Last Review is Here: (Insert last blog link, don’t say name of movie.)

Twitter Account is Here: You’ll get notices when the reviews are live as soon as I post them, plus any trailers, movie news, or updates on when I stream on Twitch. I’m always looking for new followers, and with more followers means more ways for you guys to contribute.

NEW!!! Suggestion Box is Here: Are you sick of gaps in my posts? Why not suggest a film or film series for me to watch? Suggestions will be completed in order received, and if you’d like to leave your name for a suggestion credit and anything you’d like me to promote (within reason) I’d be happy to do that too. This suggestion box will be a permanent fixture of the blog, as again I’d love any and all help you guys want to offer.

Twitch Channel is Here: I’ll admit, I don’t quite have a regular streaming schedule worked out, but if you follow either the Twitter account or the channel directly you will be notified whenever I go live.

Until next time, I’ll see you folks at the movies.

Friday, 29 July 2016

Movie Review: Bad Moms (2016)

Newest Review is LIVE!!! Another female led comedy, how does this one hold up?

Hello All,

The catching up has begun. I managed to get over to the city and see a movie today, while having a pretty go Pokemon hunting trip as well. I’m enjoying this new way of doing reviews, get me out and about and still watching movies when I can. Today I tackled a comedy about irresponsible parents, let’s see how that one faired shall we?

Plot Summary - Amy Mitchell (Mila Kunis) tries her best to be the perfect mother, but when one day she gets completely fed up, she decides with the help of two other moms to go off on a long overdue self indulgent binge. This however puts her at odds with the head of the PTA, as the two begin a clash of ideas and parenting.

Pros - The highlight of the film is by far the chemistry between the three leads. All three bring in great characters and personalities that mix well, and they even all get pretty good story arcs. The jokes are mostly funny, as it feels like they’re trying to be smarter than just bottom of the barrel type humour.

Cons - The story and character arcs have their predictable moments, and some of the jokes don’t really work. There’s also a couple of scenes that feel like padding, and for the love of god, there are also way too many music montages. Holy shit I thought rom coms were the worst offender, this movie hits it out of the damn park in that regard.

Final Score - 8/10

It’s not going to be anyone’s favourite, but honestly it’s definitely worth a watch.

Next - Nerve: Going to try for tomorrow with this one. We’ll also see about Lights Out, but like I’ve said before, that one’s got me nervous.

Links:

Last Review is Here: Last time I reviewed one of the most anticipated movies of the summer. You can read about that here.

Until next time, I’ll see you folks at the movies.

Thursday, 28 July 2016

Movie Review: Jason Bourne (2016)

Newest Review is LIVE!!! Please insert your own Matt Damon joke here thanks

Hello All,

Boy do I still have a lot of catch up to do. Too much Pokemon Go and not enough movies lately, I have to do my best to try and balance the two out more. I will admit though, for a sequel to a series that I’ve been pretty fond of, I was willing to put down the game for a few hours. It’s probably no argument that Jason Bourne has been one of the more highly anticipated movies of the summer. Honestly the only other film I’ve been more excited for is Suicide Squad next week. So how was the film that made me take a break from Pokemon Go? Let’s find out together shall we?

Plot Summary - When an old friend approaches him with new Treadstone files, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) finds himself once again under the scope of the CIA, as he tries to figure out a mystery from his past.

Pros - The cast is pretty solid, with special mention going to Alicia Vikander as one of the newcomers to the series. Her character arc is great, they give her a ton of cool stuff to do, and is probably the best thing to come out of this film. The look of the film feels like classic bourne that we’ve come to love and it’s on pretty decent display here as well. The action scenes for the most part are fast paced and intense, as well as the fight scenes.

Cons - The plot is scatter brained and thinly stretched. There’s also this weird subplot that never quite properly ties in with the main plot, at least in a way that really makes it feel impactful. They never really take the time to explain things, and I think that might be part of the problem. Also I’ll admit the ending of the film kind of left me mostly feeling nothing, as it really doesn’t make that much of an impact really.

Final Score - 7/10

I would’ve gone with a 6, but honestly it’s great to have Jason Bourne back, even if the plot leaves much to be desired. I just really hope they do another one, even if it’s just to send Bourne off on the right note.

Next - Okay, I know I’m a bit behind so I’ll try and make this the schedule for this week.

Friday: Bad Moms (Or Cafe Society depending on where I end up.)

Saturday: Nerve

Tuesday: Lights Out (Not going to lie, putting this off cause it looks freaky.)

And, if all goes well, Suicide Squad either Thursday night, or ASAP. If plans fall through, we’ll jam these all into one super long multi review thing. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.

Links:

Last Review is Here: The last review was a surprise! And also out on DVD now I think. Is it a good investment? Find out here!

Until next time, I’ll see you folks at the movies.

Monday, 25 July 2016

Movie Review: Batman The Killing Joke (2016)

Newest Review is LIVE!! Animated Batman's back to save DC movies

Hello All,

Surprise! Mostly by accident, as I had forgotten at the time of writing the previous review that I was going to see this film. See, DC was originally planning to have this come out straight to DVD. When word got out about it however, people got really excited to see it, so they decided to do limited releases for it. (Probably also had something to do also with A: BvS being dogshit, and B: filling the void until Suicide Squad.) In fact when my friend and I went to go see it, they actually had to upgrade to a bigger theatre to accommodate for the massive crowd of people. Now, having not read the source material (but being familiar with the story,) and also knowing they put new scenes not from the comic in there, what did I think of this attempt at one of the most well known Batman stories? Let’s find out together shall we?

Plot Summary - After a brief foray into the mindset of Barbara Gordon around the time she gave up being Batgirl, the story picks up when Batman visits the Joker in Arkham Asylum. When he arrives, he finds that the Joker has managed to escape once again, this time crippling Barbara and kidnapping her father. Batman must track him down, and have the fight of his life against his biggest rival.

Pros - As pretty much always, DC animation comes through once again. The film is so awesomely stylish, and has some really creepy imagery in it as well. The voice cast is phenomenal, Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill are back as the respective Batman and Jokers. I think the new additions to the story fit well for the most part. It gives Barbara more to do than in the original story, and (without spoiling it) also kind of shows Joker’s point that he makes further into the film. The pacing is pretty good for a 75 minute film also.

Cons - Purist fans of the source novel will probably hate it. Purist fans are usually not happy with any adaptation either but the point still stands. Also, if you’re expecting a longer film, don’t hold your breath in that regard either. Just like the comic as well, the story ends on an ambiguous note.

Final Score - 9/10

If you’re a fan of the DC animated films, get to a screening if you still can. However, I’ve been told the DVD will be out on the 26th so you might not have to wait long.

Next - Lights Out. Okay, I’ve been putting it off long enough. However, if I can’t see it for other reasons, then it's Nerve on Wednesday. Yep, there’s a movie starting on Wednesday this week.

Links:

Last Review is Here: The last review was basically a hybrid of sorts. What do I mean? Find out here.

Until next time, I’ll see you folks at the movies.

Thursday, 21 July 2016

Movie Review/Complete Series (Kinda): Star Trek Beyond (2016)

Newest Review is LIVE!!! This is a first for me.

Hello All,

Okay, so like the rest of planet earth this past little while, I’ve been playing Pokemon Go. I will also admit that it has been part of the reason my schedule this week has been so screwy. Originally I was going to do the first suggestion from the suggestion box, but, plans were changed when basically a plan for Thursday materialized, when I had no plan whatsoever to start. Problem was, the plan was the new Star Trek movie, and I have not seen any Star Trek movie in it’s entirety on purpose. So, for the past 2 days, I have been staying up until roughly 3am and watching the newest batch of Star Trek movies. So while the main review will focus on the newest movie, at the end I’ll rank all three of them, just so we can compare. So what did a non Star Trek fan think of this latest one? Let’s find out together shall we?

Plot Summary - When the sole occupant of an escape pod informs starfleet that her crew is stranded on an unexplored planet, the crew of the Enterprise ventures into unknown territory. When they find themselves ambushed and are forced to flee their crashing ship, they must reunite and find out the cause of the attack and what his plans are for them and starfleet.

Pros - Where to begin? I guess with any Star Trek film (from my understanding,) the best place to start would be with the crew. The chemistry is the best it’s ever been, and they manage to give all the main characters very distinctive personalities and traits. In the case of those who were already established, they flushed them out more fully. The story is phenomenally well told, managing to bring in more humour and energy that the Abrams films have been admittedly lacking. The structure of the story itself is well done also, laying in the ground work of the mystery in front of them in very creative ways. Nothing felt forced in, nothing felt out of place, even managing to work in the death of Leonard Nimoy in a very loving and heartfelt way that added to the story significantly (Anton Yelchin died after production wrapped for the record, but they honour him as well.) The style of the film feels both very fresh, and very Star Trek classic, especially the way the bad guys fleet of ships navigate and work together.

Cons - There’s a couple kind of odd moments graphically, and there’s also a scene involving a motorcycle that felt a touch on the dumb side, especially in the midst of everything else going on.

Final Scores:

Star Trek (2009): Solid introduction, takes frustratingly long to get to the point. 8/10

Star Trek Into Darkness: Overall okay, although admittedly too humourless for it’s own good, and trying way too hard to be Wrath of Khan. 6/10

Star Trek Beyond: 10/10

This is the one where they get it right. Forgetting the motorcycle nonsense, everything else surrounding the film is pure, great, sci fi at it’s very best.

Next - Either the Suggestion Box, or Lights Out: I’m going to play this week by ear basically. God I can’t wait for the next two weeks to arrive already.

Links:

Last Review is Here: So why did I post nothing else last week? Because we only got one movie. A movie that everyone totally loves and is doing well Box Office wise. Find out if I’m lying through the link.

Until next time, I’ll see you folks at the movies.

Thursday, 14 July 2016

Movie Review: Ghostbusters (2016)

Newest Review is LIVE!!! I'm sure this is one we are all going to agree on!

Hello All,

Hopefully you all catch on to the joke in the above title there.

Also, apologies for the delay on this one, windows 10 literally told me it was doing an update 15 minutes from when I logged on and did not give me the option to say no. As of writing this, I’m on my backup. When this is posted I should (hopefully) be back on my main computer. (Mid written update: Finished typing on main computer, windows 10 is creepy as fuck sometimes.)

So, before we get started, can we talk about the elephant in the room? The controversy around this film has been, let’s say, deeply complicated. On one hand, you have fans of the original who are simply concerned that this might go the way of some reboots and that it might hurt the franchise. I would say that’s a valid concern. Then you have the people who are simply upset that the cast has been replaced with women and that because of that alone that it will ruin their childhoods. To the latter, I only have this to say:

Blow me.

Now, if you do not wish to see the film because it merely doesn’t interest you, I’ll give you full credit for that. That’s what the AVGN’s argument was for why he wasn’t seeing it, and I’ll grant you that every time. But once again, if your reason is because you’re scared of social progress, I’ll refer you to the above entitled two word phrase, and ask that you bugger off back to the 1930’s, and to preferably stay there.

Now, on the flip side, any complaints I have about the film, are purely from a filmmaking standpoint. I’ve been trying to point out flaws in even the films I give perfect scores, as a way to try and make this a more fair and balanced blog. If a film, or a part of a film, is bad, I don’t give any miserable flying fucks about whatever message it’s sending, or any trendsetting things it’s done, it will always still be a bad film. Shit still stinks, no matter who’s wearing it.

Final point: The original is untouchable. It may not be one of my personal favourites, but lord knows I can understand it’s value. Never saw the second one though, heard it was bad mostly.

Okay? Okay? Okay? I’m not going to proceed until you physically say okay and agree to the above entitled terms. Trust me I’ll know. Did you physically say it? Then we’re moving on.

Plot Summary - When a book about ghosts she co wrote re-emerges from her past, Dr. Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig), finds herself forcefully reunited with her friend and co writer Dr. Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy) and her new lab partner Dr. Jillian Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon), just as a ghost reveals itself in an old haunted house. After the trio decide to unite as team to study the phenomenon, they team up with MTA worker Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones) and hire secretary Kevin Beckman (Chris Hemsworth) to find the source of the ghostly sightings, and begin to unravel a mysterious evil plan along the way.

Pros - Okay, the big question: How does the new team fair? Honestly, I quite enjoy them. The main cast is solid. My two favourites by far being Kate McKinnon as the wildly insane Holtzmann, and Chris Hemsworth as Kevin the dumber than a bag of hammers secretary (pun intended.) Mostly because it’s done in a rather clever fashion that actually serves the plot quite well a couple of times. The original remaining cast (minus Rick Moranis) have perfect cameos. The film really begins to pick up steam after the first third, and the plot itself actually does get really interesting once it kicks into gear. The humour again picks up as well after the first third. The visuals are very creative, and actually seeing this film in 3D in a IMAX like theatre, I have to say this might be like the best 3D film I’ve seen this year, if not close to it. The references to the original are there, and honestly they’re pretty well placed and timed pretty consistently.

Cons - Some of the side characters are one dimensional as fuck. I will also concede the point that the ghosts kind of look like the ghosts from that god awful Haunted Mansion movie. The first third of the movie feels rushed slightly, as there’s also a surprising amount of, for lack of a better term, poop and fart jokes. It actually got to the point where I actually had a moment of panic that it was going to be a complete disaster. After that, there’s maybe only one joke I can think of that got on my nerves. The ending does kind of run in a slightly similar fashion to the original which was a slight letdown.

Final Score - 8/10

Overall, I rather enjoyed it. If you can make your way through an admittedly not great first third, there’s a real great summer film to enjoy here. If you’ve written it off already though, I’ve already addressed the various reasons why you might above. Choose the one that’s right for you, and go from there.

Next -.........Nothing else came out this week? Shit. Okay, what’s in the suggestion box?.....................Oh dear god……………..What the hell have I gotten myself into?

Links:

Last Review is Here: Not going to lie, my previous review was for one of the weirdest films I have ever seen. I’m just going to leave it at that.

Until next time, I’ll see you folks at the movies.

Monday, 11 July 2016

Movie Review: Swiss Army Man (2016)

Newest Review is LIVE!!! In between Pokemon Go, I saw a weird movie today

Hello All,

So my guess is that most people right now are out playing Pokemon Go, and rightly so. It’s actually quite a fun game, and if you’ve ever been a Pokemon fan, now is the time to get back into it.

However, since this is not a video game review blog, let’s get back to movies if only for a moment okay?

I ended doing a variety of things today, including getting a new phone, pre ordering tickets for an upcoming limited release movie (teaser teaser teaser), and seeing Swiss Army Man. I got to be honest, I’ve been wanting to see this one for a while. Especially when the reviews calling it one of the weirdest movies ever made came rolling in. So naturally I was quite eager to see it for myself. So what’s my opinion on it? Let’s find out together shall we?

Plot Summary - Hank (Paul Dano) has been stranded on a deserted island and has lost all hope of making it home. However, when a corpse (Daniel Radcliffe) washes up on the shore of the island, Hank strikes up a friendship with the deceased, leading them on an epic quest of friendship and determination to make it home.

Pros - Where to start? Honestly, this probably has to be one of the very few times where I can say I enjoyed basically everything about this movie. It’s very surreal, and has some really beautiful, and entertaining imagery to go along what’s basically a movie about trying to find happiness in life, that’s in the guise of a buddy comedy movie. The two leads are great together, the story moves along at just the right pace, and even the ending manages to take a somewhat cliched ending and turn in on it’s head in terms of how it’s presented. I honestly don’t know what else I can add on to that.

Cons - It’s definitely not a movie for everyone. A lot of people are going to see and just flat out hate it, and I can totally understand. I’m trying to not sound pretentious about this, but it’s a really niche type of film.

Final Score - 10/10

This definitely ranks as possibly one of the weirdest movies I have ever seen. Yet at the same time, I cannot deny how much I enjoyed it.

Next - Ghostbusters. The reboot of a classic film series that everyone is going to love…...and I’m the king of siam.

Links:

Last Review is Here: I did a double review last time. It’s 2 for the price of 1 on a free blog. I think I’ve made this joke before.

Until next time, I’ll see you folks at the movies.

Thursday, 7 July 2016

Double Movie Review: Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016) & The Secret Life of Pets (2016)

Newest Review is LIVE!!! Man these are some long as hell titles.

Hello All,

You are witnessing a rare feat for me in these movie reviews. A double thursday night review, and for once I have a legitimate reason for doing this: I wanted to get these movies over with as quickly as possible.

Okay, that’s maybe a bit harsh, but hear me out. In the case of Mike and Dave (which I’m going to call it from here on out because I do not want to type that full name out every time), it was simply because I just didn’t think it would be funny. I’m not really a big fan of that kind of semi frat/semi stoner humour, because well, it’s humour it’s all subjective cut me a break. Pets (also short version name) basically was because, after BFG, I wasn’t really in the mood for another mediocre kids movie.

So now having seen both of these movies, is there anything out there for me to recommend to you this weekend? Let’s find out together shall we?

Mike and Dave Review Here

Plot Summary - Mike (Adam DeVine) and Dave (Zac Efron) are brothers, who frequently ruin family events with their hard partying ways. When their parents issue them an ultimatum to bring nice girls to their sister's wedding, they run into seemingly nice girls Tatiana (Aubrey Plaza) and Alice (Anna Kendrick). Once they get there however, the two girls turn out to be more than they bargained for.

Pros - The cast for the most part is doing their best. Anna Kendrick especially as it’s really awesome to see her kind of differ from her normal thing. The jokes when they work are pretty funny, especially as the movie starts going along. The film is also pretty decent looking, and has some pretty good visual gags as well.

Cons - Okay it’s pretty hard talking about a comedy because all anyone wants to know is if it’s funny, and the best way to describe Mike and Dave is kind of. The plot is cliched as all hell, but I’ll admit it does kind of pick up near the end. There are only a couple of jokes that run on way too damn long, but the rest are either meh, or funny. What I’m saying is basically some good jokes , some meh jokes, rarely bad jokes.

Final Score - 6/10

It’s worth at least one viewing, but after that I leave it to you.

Pets Review

Plot Summary - When Terrier Max (Louis C.K.) finds himself living with a new dog Duke (Eric Stonestreet) after his owner adopted him. When Duke tries to get of Max, the duo get lost in the city, and it’s up to Max’s friends to try and save them.

Pros - The animation is pretty neat. It’s bright and colourful, and actually has quite a nice take on the look of New York City. The cast does a good job of making each animal sound unique, and the film does have it’s funny moments. They also have a surprising amount of physical comedy (so to speak) which they do a really good job of.

Cons - The plot is nothing to write home about, as it’s basically two plots and they both feel kind of padded. It’s got it’s cliche moments and the character development is minimal at best. And, maybe it’s just because I’m not used to watching Louis C.K., but for the first third of the movie he just sounds kind of bored.

Final Score - 6/10

It’s not going to be anyone’s favourite, and Finding Dory is probably not going to have to worry about competition, but if you want to see it, I say go for it.

There was also a minion short that played before the movie. Whatever your feelings are towards them, that’s basically how you are going to feel about the short. For me it’s a 6/10.

So there you have it, a triple 6 movie review. Sounds about right.

Next: Swiss Army Man - I’m actually super excited for this one. Expect it Monday (most likely.)

Links:

Last Review is Here: I tackled a pretty big movie last time. Once you read the title of it, you’ll understand why that joke is so bad. Read it here!

Until next time, I’ll see you folks at the movies.