At the Movies with Kane and BN

[Kane52630]

Hell of a Summer

Shout out to Cimothée Thalamet, who got a nut allergy, I hope he shows up in Dune Messiah.

Unexpectedly a super fun slasher comedy that asks the question, "What happens when you put a bunch of Gen Z'ers in a Friday the 13th movie?" It feels like Friday the 13th crossed with Scream crossed with Sleepaway Camp with the clever comedy that you'd see in Tucker and Dale vs Evil, The Final Girls, and Bodies Bodies Bodies. I thought they did a good job exploring all the characters and making you second-guess who the killer is. While Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk are in it and both co-directed it, they're not the main stars of the movie. A lot of the movie falls on Fred Hechinger being the corny camp counselor trying to figure out what's going on, and his comedic timing was great. It was great seeing D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Abby Quinn, and Pardis Saremi in this. My only problem with the movie is that the horror aspect feels toned down, and there are not enough of the over the top kills that try to invoke the Friday the 13th movies, even though they do a good job putting in subtle easter eggs. Overall, I dug it a lot despite its problems. Also, PS, can Hollywood higher a proper lighting crew for once in these horror movies?
3.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Drop

ngl, if I were her, I would start sending memes back. Also, the moment the movie won me over was when they used the Undertaker meme.

Glad Bumhouse is finally making decent stuff again. It's a great and fun old-school "whodunit" situational thriller that uses cell phones and memes to tell its story. It's a solid premise that does get a little comical, which is what Christopher Landon does great with. It feels like a lot of other 2000s thrillers that Hollywood used to make a lot of like Red Eye, Joy Ride, Flightplan, and Phonebooth, and they do a good job keeping the pace on throughout the movie with some interesting camera work and lighting. I thought Meghann Fahy was great and pretty much carries the movie despite the supporting cast, which I thought were just okay. Overall, I really enjoyed it. It's pretty much a fun date movie that we need more of.
3.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

The Amateur

When you got a high IQ, but you still watch youtube tutorials.

A very enjoyable and traditional revenge techno spy thriller in the realm of Bourne and Tom Clancy that is more on the tech side of things. I thought the director James Hawes does a great job making it feel more cinematic and less TV with how they manage to move the story from country to country in a way that doesn't feel cheap and actually shooting on location. It's got a ton of cliches, but I thought the performances make it stand above it for the most part. While the overall plot is pretty simple and straightforward, they do a lot with the smaller scenes. Overall, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
3.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Sinners

ngl, I became the spongebob meme where he's ascending into the sky with earbuds on during THAT scene.

An unbelievable job by Ryan Coogler on delivering a Southern blues epic that just also happens to have a John Carpenter-style siege of vampires. It's a movie with a plot that is so entirely focused on the music and sound design and how that seeps into everything in the story. The cast is phenomenal, Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Wunmi Mosaku, Jack O'Connell, Li Jun Li, and Jayme Lawson were great but Miles Caton and Delroy Lindo stole the show. The first half almost feels like a different movie and by the time the vampire stuff comes into play it becomes a full-on fun horror action movie. But with that half, they did a great job setting up the characters. Overall, easily one of the best films of the year. It's what Coogler does best and he elevates the medium to more than just a simple genre film.
4.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

The Legend of Ochi

Let me be clear, there's no question Ochi would give Baby Yoda a royal ass whoopin'.

A fun and breezy family movie that feels extremely inspired by Hayao Miyazaki and E.T. with some Gremlins on the side. It has a very basic structure in its storytelling and it doesn't really do anything different aside from showcasing the gorgeous cinematography shots of Romania. I thought Willem Dafoe, Finn Wolfhard, and Emily Watson were fine but Helena Zengel was the obvious standout and the one that really puts any effort into character moments. I wish this movie had a little more going on but I thought they did a great job with the practical effects of the creatures in the movie. Overall, a lot of fun and a great movie to look at even if it's a little thin on character.
3.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Until Dawn

They really capture the ultimate fear of drinking tap water in a shady ass house.

Despite not having played the game, I thought this movie was a fun time that doesn't really overstay its welcome. It's exactly the kind of fun garbage horror that you want if you want something like Cabin in the Woods or Happy Death Day where you are kinda there just for the various amounts of kills. The cast was fun and not really annoying which helps a lot and I thought both Ella Rubin and Odessa A'zion were really good. Some kills are really well done and gory and you can see David F. Sandberg's yearning to return to horror as you're watching this. I'm sure gamers will have problems with it but I don't really care, this was a fun time at the theater.
3.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Havoc

Now, do this same exact movie but with Jake Peralta and Captain Holt.

After 84 years and a difficult production schedule, Gareth Evans finally returned to the action genre to basically do his ode to the pure 90s action crime thrillers like Hardboiled and Supercop, but in his visceral, ultraviolent Gareth Evans style. The plot is pretty simple and almost overstuffed with the various supporting characters, but it never felt overbearing.

There's a very distinct visual style to this movie that does use a ton of obvious greenscreen, but I thought this worked better than most because of how it's used in the environments. It feels less like the Raid films and almost feels like you're watching something like Sin City or The Crow in that sense, where it feels like a world on to its own. Tom Hardy was solid for once, and I thought Jessie Mei Li, Timothy Olyphant, Justin Cornwell, and Sunny Pang were great. Michelle Waterson becomes the Julie Estelle of the film, where she is the badass who almost steals the movie.

I will say the movie does have its problems, and the plotting does feel like something is missing, but the action makes up for it by a mile. No one quite does it when it comes to directing action and how the camera moves, even if it does get a little too shaky cam. Overall, while this doesn't beat the Raid films, this still ruled.
4/5

 

[Kane52630]

Thunderbolts*

This would have gone completely the other way if Bob was found by Tony Stark and Doctor Strange.

A pretty decent return for Marvel after missing the mark for the past few films. It is essentially Marvel's Suicide Squad, but it feels more like watching The Boys minus the sex and violence. They do a good job getting right into the premise of these villains and assassins having to work together and eventually have a group therapy session with what they've been going through. Florence Pugh pretty much takes over as the lead, and she was great interacting with all the other characters. Sebastian Stan continues to be great in these movies even though they don't use him enough. Wyatt Russell, Lewis Pullman, David Harbour, and Hannah John-Kamen all had their moments as well. As much as I was enjoying how the movie was going, I still think there was a piece missing that would have made this even better than it already is. Overall, great movie, but it doesn't quite reach the top tier MCU movies for me.
3.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Clown in a Cornfield

Close enough, welcome back Shawn Hunter from Boy Meets World.

A fun and comedic slasher about killer clowns from Eli Craig who made Tucker & Dale vs. Evil. It's not really doing anything new, but they do a good job setting up the characters and the feeling of the post-Scream slashers much like Thanksgiving from a couple of years ago. It's also really well shot and gives you the feeling of October fall vibes as you're watching it. While I don't think it's as funny and self-referential as Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, there are some really funny moments while also being pretty gory and it's got a fun twist that I kinda saw coming. Overall, a solid horror comedy.
3.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Shadow Force

What's crazy is they didn't even play Lionel Ritchie's best songs.

A pretty mixed bag for Joe Carnahan who I expected more from, but there are some really good moments in this family spy-adventure movie. Omar Sy does carry this movie and I thought Kerry Washington got better as the movie went along. All the scenes with them were really good but it is played against a really basic action spy movie with villains (staring Mark Strong) that don't really do much even though they set them up as interesting figures. The real highlights of the movie are the scenes with Method Man and Da'Vine Joy Randolph who really stole the movie and you wish the movie was about them as spy agents. They got the best dialogue and got what the movie was supposed to be. Overall, not a bad movie but not the best from Joe Carnahan (watch Copshop or The Grey).
3/5

 

[Kane52630]

Hurry Up Tomorrow

It's crazy that this had more crying than a crowd full of people watching the end of Coco.

A movie that I really enjoyed despite it all. It is essentially a psychological concert film that is basically Prince's Purple Rain meets Trey Edward Shults' Waves meets Hype Williams' Belly for The Weeknd. It is entirely operating on vibes and style over substance and plot, which isn't for most people, even for casual Weeknd fans. It is also essentially a long music video for his new album with some intentional humor, which I don't mind. You are pretty much there for the music, the cinematography, and the bizarreness. I thought Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan were fine, but The Weeknd was only decent when he didn't have speaking lines. Overall, definitely not for everybody, but for someone who is a big fan of The Weeknd and Trey Edward Shults as a filmmaker, it is worth checking out.
4/5

 

[Kane52630]

Final Destination Bloodlines

The anti-Penny agenda strikes again!
*throws away all my pennies*

What a fantastic return for the franchise with a movie that is incredibly well crafted despite some dodgy greenscreen. They do such a good job setting up the opening act and setting up these characters that you ultimately do care for, unlike the last couple of entries. They definitely didn't shy on making this as gruesome and gory as possible, and some of the kills are up there with some of the best from the franchise. It definitely has the feeling of watching the first three films with the many callbacks and easter eggs they got in this. The cast was great with Richard Harmon being the standout, and they did a great job giving Tody Todd his ominous sendoff. Overall, it's maybe my 3rd favorite after the first two.
4/5

 

[Kane52630]

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning

Oh, so that's why Mr. Milchick has a leather jacket and a motorcycle.

A mixed bag "finale" that feels like it spent so much time deliberately recapping and reminiscing the franchise rather than finishing the story it sets up in Dead Reckoning. This does have the unfortunate problem like a lot of franchises that had to split the last movie into parts where you don't really get the main course of the movie until halfway in. The constant quick flashes to previous scenes from the franchise and even quick flashes from the current movie itself feel like it doesn't trust the audience to get what's going on.

Despite those problems, the movie is still incredibly well done when it comes to the action setpieces. While I don't think the AI plot feels well thought out it does give the movie grave stakes and where they structured it, it almost feels like you're watching a movie from the 90s when they included the White House involved along with Angela Bassett who is now president of the US. I thought the core group along with Tom Cruise was solid even though they do some very predictable things when you know your franchise is nearing the end.

I thought all the bit supporting actors they got were probably my favorite parts of the movie. I thought the submarine scenes got a little long in the tooth but the bi-plane action setpiece was one of the best stunts they've done. Overall, sadly it's a step down from the previous two but it's still a fun popcorn movie to see on IMAX.
3.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Friendship

A movie that asks the question, what if Jim Carrey's The Cable Guy watched The Banshees of Inisherin and I Think You Should Leave at the same time?

A hilarious comedy that is tailor-made for people who exclusively love the work of Tim Robinson and cringe comedy that usually works as a 15-minute show. It's basically an I Think You Should Leave sketch stretched out into a movie-length feature and while this shouldn't work at all, it does, and having the A24 filmmaking shine on it somehow works better. I thought Tim Robinson, Paul Rudd, and Kate Mara were so funny in this and where their dynamic goes is insane. Overall, I thought it was great.
4/5

 

[Kane52630]

Bring Her Back

When people say I need more fiber in my diet.

The Philippou brothers did it again. This was a fantastic and disturbing horror movie that deals with grief, and it feels like a combination of Talk to Me, Hereditary, Pet Sematary, and Misery. It's a movie that does take a little time before it really starts rolling, and you find out what the overall premise of the film actually is. Billy Barratt, Sora Wong, Sally Hawkins, and Jonah Wren Phillips were fantastic in this, especially Sally Hawkins and Jonah Wren Phillips, because of what they had to go through in this movie. There's some interesting camera work when it needs to showcase the supernatural elements, and I thought it was interesting they resisted telling more about those found footage tapes, which could be its own V/H/S style segment. Overall, it's easily the feel bad movie of the year so far.
4/5

 

[Kane52630]

Karate Kid: Legends

The New York-style pizza propaganda was really strong in this, and I loved it.

A decent Karate Kid sequel that does try to go back to its roots and tell a more earnest yet super clichéd story that feels like you're watching a Disney Channel original movie, but in a good way. I did appreciate them giving the main character played by Ben Wang a full story before cramming in cameos and easter eggs like Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio who were both decent in it. I thought Sadie Stanley was kinda holding the movie together when she was with Ben Wang and her acting is probably the best among the new and old cast even with the stiled dialogue. It's a movie that also counts as a NY travelogue with the amount of shots and b-roll they were able to capture and show, and I thought the skyscraper set piece felt pretty natural, even though it's an obvious volume soundstage. My only major issue with the movie is that there's not enough tournament, and it feels rushed when it gets to the 3rd act. Overall, it's just fine.
3/5

 

[Kane52630]

Mountainhead

I'll just pretend this is Ramy season 4 until we get one.

Somewhat bland and somewhat too current to the point where it works against the film. If the objective was to make an obvious post-covid tv movie/bottle film about how tech bros have ruined the world by implementing AI technology, they kinda succeeded. The director Jesse Armstrong feels like he had a bunch of script ideas and jokes that he wanted to put on his show, but stashed them in this movie instead. All four characters do feel like Succession characters, but the setup of the film feels stretched out to where I lost my interest after a while. That being said, I thought the cast was fun, and I thought Ramy Youssef and Cory Michael Smith were the best parts of the movie. Overall, just okay.
2.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

The Phoenician Scheme

Maybe the plane wouldn't have crashed if they used the Nathan Fielder method to improve pilot communication.

Yeah, it's another Wes Anderson flick that is pretty much what you expect a Wes Anderson flick to have. It's got the quirky and deadpan characters, the dollhouse production design, and the symmetrical camera work. I think this was a bit better than his last film and it's on par with The French Dispatch and right below The Grand Budapest Hotel. Benicio del Toro, Mia Threapleton, and Michael Cera are really good in this and the supporting cast was really fun especially Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, and Riz Ahmed. It's pretty whimsical and the humor mostly worked. Overall, while I liked the visuals in Asteroid City more, this was a much better film plot wise.
3.5/5

 

[Kane52630]

Ballerina

You can tell Frank was waiting forever to use that line.

Probably the most normal entry of this series for better and for worse. It's a pretty straightforward revenge film that takes you through her journey as a trained assassin. It's got very similar vibes to the Black Widow movie. There's a world of difference between centering the movie on someone like Ana de Armas who is actually trying as an actor and Keanu Reeves who sadly continues to deliver each line as if it was a question that he's not completely sure about. A lot of the action is pretty decent and I actually like how they try to be creative with some of the kills that don't require a gun like the flamethrower and the ice skates. Sadly I think the movie gets too repetitive when they start reverting back to using gunplay. And for a simple revenge story, they don't really make any of the characters stand out aside from Ana de Armas. Overall, I enjoyed it despite the John Wick aesthetic that I find extremely tiresome.
3/5

 

[Kane52630]

Materialists

Or... hear me out, what if you just wear those elevator shoes Tom Cruise or RDJ always wears?

A fantastic rom-com that actually acts as an anti-romcom centered around the world of high-life matchmaking by Celine Song. Despite the marketing and the actors involved, this is less of a conventional rom-com movie like Hitch and more of a movie like Broadcast News that's shot like Past Lives than anything else. It's a movie more focused on trying to explore what dating, romance, and love actually are in a more realistic way. Performance wise, I thought Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal were all really good and it was particularly refreshing to see Chris Evans in something more meaningful instead of bad streaming movies. There's a lot of Celine Song's DNA in this with how well it's structured, shot, and performed but I will say there were some moments that did feel out of place. I still think Past Lives is a far better movie overall, but this was telling a broader story and it mostly really worked. Overall, I still really enjoyed it, it's easily one of the best romantic dramas this year.
4/5

 

[Kane52630]

Inheritance

1. If there's anybody who deserves a 25% tip, it's that taxi driver.
2. You just know her clothes SMELL after all of that.

Surprisingly enjoyed it for what it is. It's basically a globetrotting crime thriller by Neil Burger that is shot guerrilla style with an iPhone that feels like a Steven Soderbergh movie like Unsane. It's more performative and wants to showcase its gimmick, and I thought the "on the run" thriller with its plot is fairly simple, predictable, and to the point. Both Phoebe Dynevor and Rhys Ifans were pretty good in it, all things considered, with how little they had to prep for those scenes. All the on-location shots (New York, Delhi, Seoul, and Cairo) were really well done in a way that feels like you're watching a cool travelogue. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and while it's definitely not for everyone (especially not for people who easily get motion sickness), it's very cool to see something like this get made.
4/5

 

[Kane52630]

28 Years Later

Letterboxd is gonna have a record amount of "Okay Hear Me Out" comments for this movie.

Weirdly bewildering yet highly entertaining and not really at all what I was expecting for this sequel. It was an interesting approach by Danny Boyle and Alex Garland who were definitely trying something so different to stand apart from the previous two films. It's got three distinctive parts that feel like it was taken from three different types of inspirations. The first 3rd feels more or less inspired by The Last of Us and The Walking Dead, the second 3rd feels like it was inspired by Land of the Dead, and the final stretch feels like it was heavily inspired by Apocalypse Now with a stinger that feels like you're watching an Edgar Wright/Scott Pilgrim film. It's a zombie flick that explores the ideas of isolationism, family, and loss that change the perfective of what the film is about. All that being said, I found the erratic editing, iphone camera work, and tonal shifts to be hit or miss and at times extremely bizarre. There were times when it felt like watching the movie at 2x speed. When the movie does slow down in the second half it got exponentially better and the entire Ralph Fiennes section is damn near perfection. Overall, a fantastic start to a new series in this franchise and I'm curious to see where it goes.
4/5

 

[Kane52630]

Locked

I know everyone is asking where he sh*ts, but I'm more concerned that car would have run out of power by day three.

A decent enough bottle thriller that mostly takes place inside an SUV that tries to tackle social issues. They do a good job of capturing the claustrophobic vibe that a movie like this usually does, and I thought Bill Skarsgård did a decent job carrying the movie. To me, the weak link is Anthony Hopkins, who is literally phoning in his performance as a big cartoon caricature of a British rich guy who traps Bill Skarsgård in his car. The movie feels like it wanted to be something well put-together like Phone Booth or Panic Room, but it ended up more on the side of Getaway with Ethan Hawke and Selena Gomez, where it is a mixed bag that goes on for too long with some questionable performances. Overall, it's slightly above average.
3/5

 

[Kane52630]

Fear Street: Prom Queen

Someone should get Katherine Waterston out of movie jail and fire her agent because holy sh**.

Mostly abysmal and very forgettable. It's a sequel that has little to do with the previous trilogy and tries to be their version of an '80s slasher. It basically wants to be Carrie, Prom Night, and Scream, but the script and characters aren't clever or interesting enough to pull it off. It tries just enough to be something more than a cosplay of the '80s with a decent but fairly uninspired Top 40 '80s soundtrack. The cast and performances aren't memorable, even though it's got some interesting casting choices like Ella Rubin, Katherine Waterston, Lili Taylor, and Ariana Greenblatt. Even some of the kills feel very bland and not as well thought out as they hoped. Overall, it's yet another streaming stinker.
2/5

 

[Kane52630]

M3GAN 2.0

Wow, they really thought they could get away with that insanely obvious Metropolis reference. [adds an extra half star]

A pretty unserious action movie that wants to be Terminator 2 to it's Terminator 1 for the tiktok generation. The setup is ridiculous, and while there are some fun moments, it gets bogged down by its long runtime, which drags the movie down. I thought it was interesting that they resisted not having M3GAN return earlier in the movie, and the stuff in the first half was somewhat interesting. Ivanna Sakhno who plays the other robot was not bad and would have been cool in a proper Terminator movie. That being said, it's still a silly dumb scifi action movie for teens that isn't really aiming higher.
2.5/5