Old

POSITIVES…

  • I know they say that getting old is scary, but this movie makes it absolutely terrifying. 

  • There’s a constant build up in this mysterious story that just doesn’t let you go. 

  • Once the main plot premise kicks in, so many things constantly happen that it becomes a thrilling whiplash of events. 

  • Excellent cast that consists of Gael Garcia Bernal, Vicky Krieps, Thomasin McKenzie, Rufus Sewell, Alex Wolff, and more. 

  • Although there’s a limited amount of time given to full blown deep dive character backgrounds, this movie impressively gives you more than enough to get you invested. 

  • Interesting to see the character’s group dynamics when things start getting out of hand. 

  • Fascinating observing the actors act older or younger than their actual age. 

  • Liked the use of the camera and visuals that get certain shots that actually add to the narrative of this story. 

  • Kudos to the sound design too. There’s especially one scene that really takes advantage of that. 

  • Slices, and cuts, and scars, oh my! 

  • Haunting imagery. Some shots are just engraved in my mind now. 

  • Makeup work doesn’t usually get a lot of mentions from me. I can’t help but completely acknowledge and recognize the subtle but excellent makeup work for this movie however. 

  • Impressed in how this movie was able to show so much skin, but still managed to avoid showing actual nudity. 

  • Despite the obvious commentaries about aging, this movie was still able to slide in other things to say to give you more food for thought.

NEGATIVES…

  • There are several on the nose commentary about getting old, that got… old. 

  • Certain questionable plot points, conceits, and illogical character moments, that can at times take you out of the movie. 

  • The more over the top acting work might be a little too much. 

  • Some of the scenes come off as unintentionally hilarious? 

  • Depending on how you react to it, the final conclusion may not work for you. 

  • doesthedogdie.com

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Old - watched it IN THEATERS

Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins

POSITIVES…

  • Fans of G.I. Joe should eat this up. 

  • Fans of ninja movies in general should enjoy watching this. 

  • Comfortable familiarity with the genre and it’s plot progression makes this a nice easy watch. 

  • Henry Golding is just awesome as Snake Eyes. Charming as heck. How could you not be invested with where his character is going in this story? 

  • Then here comes Andrew Koji as Tommy Arashikage, who is just amazing in this! 

  • Not to be outdone, Haruka Abe as Akiko is fantastic as well. 

  • Those interactions between Snake, Tommy, and Akiko, are easily one of the main highlights of this film. 

  • Strong supporting cast, which includes Takehiro Hira, Eri Ishida, Peter Mensah, Iko Uwais, Ursula Corbero, and Samara Weaving.

  • Action set pieces were exciting, thrilling, and simply entertaining to see. There’s a bunch of them too. 

  • “The three challenges of the warrior” sequences. Fun stuff. 

  • Liked the Japanese location settings. Looks great on the big screen. 

  • There are certain G.I. Joe related fan service that is delightful to see.

NEGATIVES…

  • Some familiar tropes, conveniences, and predictable moments pop up here and there. 

  • Plot armor. So much plot armor. 

  • Could have done without some of that shaky cam during the fight scenes. 

  • Cinematic universe world building wasn’t subtle enough for my taste. 

  • Ophidiophobia. 

  • Is it really that hard to just keep your mask on to conceal your identity?

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Snakes Eyes: GI Joe Origins - watched it IN THEATERS

How it ends

POSITIVES…

  • What would you do if you knew it was the last day on earth? That's the undeniably fascinating premise for this generally lighthearted movie. 

  • There's a plot gimmick about younger selves that is uniquely interesting. 

  • This is essentially a series of back to back random moments and unsuspecting encounters that keep you on the edge of your toes. 

  • Some genuinely sweet scenes that are nice. 

  • Musical interludes. 

  • Emotionally honest at times. Earnestly cathartic even. 

  • Conversations. This is all about the conversations. 

  • Zoe Lister-Jones and Cailee Spaeny are fantastic in this! It's them as a remarkable duo that really carries this movie. 

  • The supporting cast is nuts! Loved seeing all these character actors take part in this movie. 

  • I like that recurring background visual that pops up occasionally. 

  • Appreciated the commentaries about life in general. Existentialism, self reflections, and all that. 

  • You just might like the weird quirkiness of this movie.

NEGATIVES…

  • This is a weird quirky movie, and it's absolutely not for everybody. 

  • Maybe a little too precious, and a little pretentious at times? 

  • There's a low production to the movie, and the obvious COVID restrictions that unfortunately really shows. 

  • Natural lighting can only take you so far with the cinematography. 

  • Is the premise remotely believable, or are you just immediately taken out of the movie? Will you be able to suspend your disbelief?

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

How it ends - watched it on VIDEO ON DEMAND

PIG

POSITIVES…

  • Somebody took Nic Cage’s pig. He wants his pig back. Things happen. Simple familiar premise? Not as simple or as famliar as you’d think. 

  • Nicolas Cage plays the mysterious and wise man really well. It’s hard not to be invested in where the story takes him. 

  • Alex Wolff is good playing the audience surrogate, who finds himself in the middle of something bigger than he expected. 

  • Narrative takes certain plot turns that will keep you wanting to see where it’s going. 

  • Like the Hotel Portland scene for example. I didn't expect to see that in this film. 

  • World building. This movie about a kidnapped pig actually has some fascinating world building! 

  • Beautiful cinematography. From the location settings to the delicious looking cuisine. 

  • Elaborate monologues, and insightful conversations, that will at least give you some food for thought. 

  • Appreciated the more light hearted humorous moments. It’s not all grim. 

  • There's a recurring plot thread about who Nic Cage's character is that is just a delight. 

  • Has an interesting commentary about the food industry, those who work in it, and fine eating. 

  • Thematically sentimental.

NEGATIVES…

  • It at times meanders and indulges itself with it's methodical pacing. 

  • Pretentious? 

  • Some might argue that there's a plot point during the third act of the story that is a little too familiar with another movie about a particular chef. 

  • For crying out loud, at least wash your face Nicholas Cage!!!

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PIG - watched it IN THEATERS

Space Jam: A New Legacy

POSITIVES…

  • If you're a fan of Lebron James, how could you not want to see this movie? 

  • Those Lebron and NBA references and jokes alone are stuff you are going to enjoy. 

  • Bugs Bunny and the rest of the Looney Tunes are always entertaining to watch. 

  • Kudos to Don Cheadle for throwing himself into the role of King Al G Rhythm. 

  • Ernie Johnson and Lil Rel. 

  • That Tune World sequence. 

  • Mixing the Tunes with other worlds? I can dig it. 

  • Looney Tunes style basketball does look like chaotic fun. 

  • Slapstick, wacky, and self-aware humor. 

  • A visual smorgasbord of different styles that works well for this movie. 

  • The generally efficient narrative makes up for the "two hours is way too long for this movie" runtime. 

  • It does have a solid thematic lesson behind this story that I can absolutely get behind. 

  • "You know I got full court vision." 

  • "... and athletes acting, that never goes well."

NEGATIVES…

  • Familiar plot progression and tropes make this quite a bit derivative. 

  • Lebron James is simply hit or miss while acting in this one. 

  • Stupid, nonsensical, and questionable, plot points that is just cringe. 

  • The shameless plugs of Warner Bros properties can get embarrassing to see. 

  • So many integrated promotional ads into the story and visuals. May as well make a drinking game out of it. 

  • Tonally skewed between being a kids movie or just a nostalgia easter egg machine for older geeks. 

  • Basketball purists may not care for the alterations to the game.

loveditenjoyeditlikedit IT’S OKAY itsmehitsterrible

Space Jam: A New Legacy - watched it on HBO MAX

Fear Street part three: 1666

POSITIVES…

  • Part Three 1666 does not disappoint, and fantastically concludes this Fear Street trilogy. It’s simply the best one of the three. 

  • We want certain story threads to pay off, and this installment achieves that goal spectacularly! 

  • Awesome plot reveals that gets you even more hooked on this story. 

  • There are certain scenes with some monologuing that were just on point! 

  • Big set pieces that are engaging to see play out. 

  • It's a bit fun having the cast from 1994 and 1978 play roles in 1666. 

  • Kudos to Kiana Madeira, Ashley Zukerman, Olivia Scott Welch, Benjamin Flores Jr, Gillian Jacobs, and more, for being great in their roles for this series of films. 

  • Solid combo of dread and thrills in this movie. 

  • Excellent locations and settings that this movie takes good advantage of. 

  • Love the themes, metaphors, and social commentaries that this tragic story has. 

  • The Konami Code. 

  • Plan A

NEGATIVES…

  • Honestly wished it was scarier and had more horror. 

  • There's a certain familiarity and predictability as to where the story is going. 

  • Not sure the cast’s attempts on doing the accents of 1666 was necessary. 

  • Some questionable decisions that you can nitpick. 

  • There's also one gag that really really does not make sense.

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Fear Street part three: 1666 - watched it on NETFLIX

Escape Room: Tournament Of Champions

POSITIVES…

  • Those who liked the previous installment and/or those who like playing Escape Rooms, should find things to like with this sequel. 

  • Kudos once again to the creative team behind this, for the highly produced and elaborate escape rooms that the characters are forced to participate in. You wish real life escape rooms were this fancy, except without the deaths of course. 

  • Those escape rooms of course are the main reason to check out this movie. 

  • Say what you will about the story, but this movie legitimately has some exciting and thrilling scenes. 

  • Excellent in how efficient the narrative is. 

  • About the perfect running time for this kind of movie. 

  • Still managed to surprise me with some of the plot developments. 

  • As brief as it was, there’s that death scene that is just traumatizing to watch. 

  • Solid cast of actors and their characters that you just can’t help but root for to survive. 

  • Special shout out to Holland Roden as Rachel. She’s pretty cool in this. 

  • I appreciated them showcasing some PTSD moments with the characters.

NEGATIVES…

  • Story is nonsensical and generally unbelievable most of the time. Don’t think about it too much. 

  • The story wishes it was this super interesting mystery that we would all be heavily invested in, but it’s unfortunately not succeeding in showing us why we should care. 

  • Supposed smart characters making stupid decisions took me out of the movie. 

  • Absolutely not satisfied with where this movie ends. 

  • As expected from a movie like this. Plot conveniences! Especially when it comes to Zoey.

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Escape Room: Tournament Of Champions - watched it IN THEATERS

Gunpowder Milkshake

POSITIVES…

  • If you’re looking for a female assassins movie to watch, “Gunpowder Milkshake” is one you can add to your list.

  • Main reason to watch this is for the cool cast of actors. Karen Gillan, Chloe Coleman, Lena Headey, Angela Bassett, Michelle Yeoh, Carla Gugino, Paul Giamatti, and Adam Nagaitis. 

  • The other main reason to check this out is for the action set pieces. There are some awesome ones. 

  • Bowling alley action set piece. 

  • Hospital hallway action set piece. 

  • Parking garage action set piece. 

  • The library action set piece. 

  • It’s got that world building thing going for it, to go along with the vision of this movie. 

  • Some ultra violence for good measure. 

  • Bits of light-heartedness, and running jokes. 

  • Plot point gimmick with the arms that I really enjoyed. 

  • I’d like to once again emphasize how cool Lena Headey is in this.

NEGATIVES…

  • This movie embraces it's inspirations a little too much, and loses that bit of freshness because of it. 

  • Familiar plot tropes and cliches present? Yes. 

  • Trying to be too clever for its own good? Debatable. 

  • A bit superficial in it’s narrative? Kinda. 

  • Style over substance? Probably. 

  • Too much use of slow motion? Maybe. 

  • Also for all the world building this film attempts to do, the world it occupies feels really hollow and empty for some reason.

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Gunpowder Milkshake - watched it on NETFLIX

Fear Street part two: 1978

POSITIVES…

  • If you've seen the first part, how could you not want to see where it goes? Part Two delivers spectacularly. 

  • Emily Rudd and Sadie Sink are fantastic as the Berman sisters. 

  • Both Rudd and Sink follow two different plot progressions, but they are both compelling. 

  • The kills can be pretty brutal and gory. 

  • Effectively thrilling and tense when intended. 

  • Speaking of effective. There are some solid emotional beats here too. 

  • Witch's mark had a cool reveal. 

  • Hanging tree scene. 

  • "Drugs are peaceful, not violent." 

  • L484 

  • Awesome soundtrack of some classic rock music. 

  • I’m loving where the mythology of Sarah Fier is going. After this movie, I’m very excited to see Part Three.

NEGATIVES…

  • Do you like movies about camp? Yeah, I'm not big into them either. 

  • Some familiar annoying tropes and cliches that come with this type of premise. 

  • Certain plot points will definitely require your suspension of disbelief. 

  • Takes a while before it gets to the actual scares. 

  • Bugs.

lovedit ENJOYED IT likedititsokayitsmehitsterrible

Fear Street part two: 1978 - watched it on NETFLIX

Black Widow

POSITIVES…

  • It should go without saying, but if you’re a fan of the MCU, you should go see this movie. It’s a very noteworthy entry to these series of films.

  • Those fantastic action sequences alone should be highly enjoyable to those who aren’t necessarily big followers of the MCU.

  • I appreciated the raw and visceral physical combat displayed on screen, and how painful it looked to see the characters get hurt.

  • Scarlett Johansson is once again solid as Natasha Romanoff. Fans of Black Widow should be happy with her solo film.

  • Florence Pugh is spectacular as Yelena! Easily one of the stand-out performances in the cast.

  • Natasha and Yelena sharing a scene together, interacting with each other, is just the best!

  • The other stand-out performance goes to David Harbour as Alexei. He is spectacular as the Red Guardian.

  • Movie’s fun comedic moments are all courtesy of Pugh and Harbour. Such scene stealers they are!

  • There were truly a lot of outstanding scenes and set pieces in this movie to keep you highly entertained.

  • Great pacing and plot progression doesn’t give you the opportunity to get bored with it. Doesn’t feel long at all, even at 113 minutes.

  • Opening major story set piece was an incredible way to kick things off.

  • “Family reunion.”

  • Emotional beats were well earned.

  • Kudos to this movie for managing to be a generally light-hearted affair, considering that some of the subject matters tackled in the story are actually rather heavy and serious.

  • Liked the themes that are touched on with this story. The obvious ones, and the underlying ones.

  • Pigs.

NEGATIVES…

  • It’s kinda weird that the title character of this movie, is arguably the least interesting one of the cast.

  • Plot isn’t exactly the most inventive or ambitious.

  • Glosses over some important plot details, plot turns, and plot resolutions a little too casually.

  • Could this be “too mature” of a movie for the more younger MCU fans to watch?

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Black Widow - watched it IN THEATERS