Ford v Ferrari

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The Ford Motor Company hires Carroll Shelby (played by Matt Damon) to build a car that can compete with Ferrari in the racing circuit. To accomplish this goal, Shelby enlists help from hotheaded racer and mechanic Ken Miles (played by Christian Bale). The two men find themselves at odds with Ford executive Leo Beebe (played by Josh Lucas). I love that the relationship between Shelby and Miles is really what drives this film. As good as I genuinely believe that both Bale and Damon are in this film, Bale truly feels like he is the heart and soul. His motivations are the most understandable throughout But, I also have to give credit to the film’s supporting cast. Josh Lucas is so good at playing the weaselly douche bag that he can practically do it in his sleep. Jon Bernthal is an actor that I’ve been a fan of ever since his time on The Walking Dead. Naturally, I was glad to see him in the movie. Director James Mangold handled the racing scenes with some genuine tension. I will also admit that, while I am a fan of sports movies, I don’t really know enough about sports in general to know how accurate this film was, or that I even knew what the actual outcome was going to be. This is a film that was 2 and a half hours long, and never really felt it. 

10 / 10 

Frozen 2

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Three years after the events of the first film, Elsa (voiced by Idina Menzel) begins hearing a voice calling out to her. When something begins to threaten the kingdom, she, Anna (voiced by Kristen Bell), Kristoff (voiced Jonathan Groff), Sven, and Olaf (voiced by Josh Gad) travel into an enchanted forest to find a way to save their kingdom. Once again, I really do have to compliment the animation and the voice actors. The characters actually feel like they are a little more evolved. Olaf is actually beginning to question things about existence. Now, I will say that it really is the stuff between Anna Elsa that works the best. Their relationship feels like it genuinely grown. A lot of the comedy actually worked for me. I appreciate that the film will take a minute to have some heart when it’s absolutely needed. As I dive into the things about the film I didn’t care for, know that I actually did enjoy this film. The music is a bit of a mixed bag. None of it is awful, but the weaker stuff is just kind of forgettable. Some of the story aspects didn’t always work for me either. I will give credit that the movie did subvert some of the story beats I expected it to deal with. It was interesting to me that this film didn’t really have a villain. The reason for me is because this almost feels like a story that would lend itself to having a central villain more than the first film. Overall, I think Frozen 2 will definitely work for kids. But, I think parents will actually like this film fine as well. It’s not as good as the first movie, but it’s still a decent flick. 

7 / 10 

Charlie's Angels

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A woman named Elena (played by Naomi Scott) is targeted for assassination due to her knowledge based on a tech project she has been working on. She soon finds herself working with a secret agency to discover who is trying to steal her invention. For all intents and purposes, it feels as though she is the film’s true protagonist. She is the audience surrogate who drives the plot and moves it forward. The best thing about this movie has to be the chemistry between the angels (Naomi Scott, Kristen Stewart, and Ella Balinska). While I would say that Scott’s character is the true protagonist, Kristen Stewart has be the one I feel shines the most. I also have to give props to Elizabeth Banks, Patrick Stewart, and Djimon Honsou. In many respects, I do think Stewart and Honsou are underused. The humor works well enough for me. It never really reaches the point of having amazing jokes, but there aren’t that many that fall completely flat for me either. Some of the writing feels forced. It purposely wants to set up something, and then does a complete 180 that doesn’t really work in the context of the story. And yet, it might seem strange of me to criticize the story in 2019’s Charlie’s Angels. This doesn’t feel like a film that should be story-based, but the story is there. It’s okay, but not what I necessarily needed to enjoy this movie. I enjoyed the leading ladies, some of the supporting players, and the action to an extent. This isn’t a great movie, but it’s perfectly decent. 

6 / 10 

Snow White and the Seven Dwarves

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I do have to give a lot of respect to Snow White and the Seven Dwarves for being a landmark in cinema. This is the first full-length animated feature of all time. That said, I think this is a film I respect more than anything. It's not bad, by any means. It just feels so quaint compared to where Disney would go following this film. For example, I actually think this is one of the weaker Disney movies when it comes to music. That doesn't mean the music is bad. I just prefer movies like The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and The Jungle Book when it comes to the songs. Some of the songs do deserve classic status (Heigh-Ho, for example). I also feel that this film is a prime example of what you get when the supporting characters are generally more interesting than the title character, or at least, for the most part. The prince really doesn't feel like he counts as a character. I also don't feel like Snow White has much of a character to her, either. As far the supporting characters go, I actually like the dwarves. They all have distinct personalities, and are genuinely memorable. I also think the fact that evil queen isn't a super deep character actually works in the film's favor. She's entertaining because she's evil. Her motivation is literally petty jealousy. Even though he doesn't appear much, I actually like the huntsman. You actually understand his conflict. I could pick the story apart, but I don't really feel like that's fair for this film. The movie operates on fairy tale logic. It offers much more of an emotional feel than anything else. It amazes me the animation still looks incredible, even after 80 years. Yeah, this movie originally came out in 1937. Like I said, I do think this is a good movie. I just don't rank it among my all-time favorites.

6 / 10  

The Fanatic

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The Fanatic is an experience of a movie. I mean this in both the best and worst ways possible. This movie feels like it has the loosest semblance of a plot. The film is written and directed by Fred Durst (yes, lead singer of Limp Bizkit, Fred Durst). Durst’s screenplay is surface-level at best. Perhaps the most fascinating thing is knowing that this is not Fred Durst’s first directorial effort. Yet, watching this movie, you would never know that. I really think this is a movie that will ultimately be placed on the same level as films such as Birdemic, Troll 2, and The Room. The lead performance by John Travolta may just be the ultimate proof of this. I mean the man breaks one of the biggest rules of acting. He “went full retard.” The film never really gives a distinct protagonist and antagonist. Travolta’s character, Moose (yes, that’s his name) is clearly on the Autism Spectrum. Adding on to that, if this film were anything more than just trashy entertainment, I would probably find this more offensive. If you do, I can’t hold it against you.  You also know that his actions are obviously too far over the line. At the same time, Hunter Dunbar (played by Devon Sawa) is just kind of an asshole from the beginning. The dialogue is laughably bad. John Travolta’s first line in the movie is “I can’t talk long. I gotta poo.” I wish I was making that up. Another wonderful line in this film is: “Moose didn’t just cross the line. He fucking nuked it.” The climax (if I can actually call it that) is difficult to put into words. It’s not even that I’m worried about spoiling it. Keep in mind, this only me scratching the surface of this film. It’s more-so that it’s almost indescribable. The Fanatic is a movie in the loosest sense of the word, and is so laughably bad, it’s honestly worth seeking out. 

0 / 10 

The Terminator

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The Terminator follows Sarah Connor (played by Linda Hamilton) as she is stalked by a seemingly indestructible killing machine, or terminator, known as the T-800 (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger). She is helped by a man from the future named Kyle Reese (played by Michael Biehn). One of the most interesting aspects of The Terminator, especially in comparison to the rest of the films in the franchise that would follow it is that this movie actually has more of a horror feel to it. Don't get me wrong, the action elements are still there, but they feel downplayed in comparison. As a villain, Schwarzenegger feels more like a stalking slasher than anything else. Part of the reason for this could easily be the fact that this is probably the closest a Terminator movie could possibly look and feel to being low-budget. However, James Cameron really makes it work. I love the arc that Sarah Connor goes through. For most of the movie, she's just this helpless victim, until she's forced to save herself. The end seems to set the stage for who the character is going to become, and Linda Hamilton is really good. I like the idea Michael Biehn as Kyle Reese has sort of this wiry look about him too. It makes sense as to why nobody would believe him. The one thing that could potentially be seen as a flaw is some of the time travel logic. But, that's kind of a thing you just tend to get when you have movies that incorporate time travel. With this film in particular, it's the idea that if John Connor doesn't send Kyle Reese back in time to protect Sarah Connor, then John Connor is never born. It's a bit confusing when you think about it. It doesn't really detract from the movie by any means. The Terminator is a classic for good reason.

9 / 10 

Terminator: Dark Fate

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A young woman named Dani (played by Natalia Reyes) is hunted by a new breed of terminator known as the Rev-9 (played by Gabriel Luna). In order to survive, Dani must join forces with an enhanced human named Grace (played by Mackenzie Davis), Sarah Connor (played by Linda Hamilton), and an aged T-800 (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger). I should start by saying that this movie has a plot point within the first few minutes that will divide people. I’m not going to go into spoilers, but you’re either going to hate it or you’re going to roll with it. Personally, I actually was able to roll with it. To me, this is a moment that felt earned as the movie went on. I appreciate that this movie took Terminator back to its rated R roots. For the most part, the acting is solid. For the most part, the effects are pretty solid too. Some of the CGI can look a little rough. There is one thing that really stands out to me in particular. I love the Rev-9 as a villain. He is the first terminator since the T-1000 that I found to be a truly menacing antagonist. The action is pretty fun, overall. I love how Sarah Connor and the T-800 play into this film and its story (especially Arnold Schwarzenegger as the T-800). Some of the writing can feel a little forced and unnecessary, but never to the point where I find it too distracting. Is Terminator: Dark Fate as good as the first two movies? No. It is better than 3, 4, and 5 in my opinion, and that’s really all I wanted out of this movie. Do you need to rush out and see this movie? No, but I still recommend it.  

8 / 10