Ambulance

POSITIVES

  • If you’re looking for a traditional action thriller that keeps things exciting and compelling, well this movie is a whole lot of that. It starts with a typical premise, and then it goes in directions that will make you wonder how much more outrageous things can get. 

  • Michael Bay’s plot progression is one of the main driving force that keep things entertaining, but it wouldn’t be as entertaining without the talented cast like Jake Gyllenhaal, Eiza González, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Garret Dillahunt, and a bunch of other supporting actors. 

  • Gotta appreciate the efficiency in the story telling in terms of setting up all the chess pieces for the narrative. 

  • There are multiple set pieces that worked really well, but if there’s only one thing that I need to call out, it’s gotta be the particularly crazy insane teleconference scene that made me go “OMG, this movie is actually going to go there.” The highlight that perfectly represents what this movie is all about! 

  • Kudos to the conclusion. I thought it was generally solid and landed on the underlying theme of the movie in a very meaningful way. Makes the whole experiencing watching through this worth it. 

NEGATIVES

  • First and foremost, this movie has probably one of the most unbelievable Los Angeles car chases I’ve seen. It’s glaringly unrealistic that it got very distracting. 

  • Several plot cliches and conveniences that are found in this story, can also be considered ridiculous and illogical overall. 

  • All that over the top banter and dialogue can get pretty obnoxious. 

  • The camera just never stops moving or shaking or panning!!!

  • Those more light-hearted jokes and humorous moments that are tossed into this movie like a hand grenade just feel too forced. All those added plot elements that are supposed to feel organic, just feel artificial. You could say that Michael Bay just can’t stop doing all these typical Michael Bay-ism flairs and quirks that he adds into his films all the time in an annoying way. 

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Ambulance - watched in IN THEATERS

Metal Lords

POSITIVES

  • Fans of heavy metal music will find a lot to like about this coming of age high school movie. If anything else, it's got a solid soundtrack that accompanies it.

  • That sequence with War Pigs by Black Sabbath really captured the spirit of heavy metal. 

  • Jaeden Martell as Kevin and Isis Hainsworth as Emily were the ones that kept me invested with this movie. Also kudos to Adrian Greensmith for going all in playing Hunter. 

  • The original song that the movie teases and builds up to is worth the wait. 

  • It's got a thematic commentary about songs and music and people that I appreciated seeing in this movie. 

NEGATIVES 

  • Kinda plays on the more embarrassing stereotypes of heavy metal fans far more than I wished it would. 

  • Moves at a somewhat unexciting pace. 

  • Familiar plot tropes and cliches here and there. 

  • No slight against the actor, but the character of Hunter is an annoying idiot. 

  • Moments of extreme awkwardness and preciousness can be a little too much. 

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Metal Lords - watched it on NETFLIX

Everything Everywhere All At Once

POSITIVES

  • As a genre film that combines interesting sci-fi elements, spectacular fight choreography, within a clever but bizarre narrative that is emotionally engaging yet ridiculously funny, that isn’t afraid to reach ambitious heights in the point of it all, Everything Everywhere All At Once is an incredible achievement in creative storytelling. 

  • The absurdity, visual sight gags, and comedic situations will keep you entertained, while the intriguing, fascinating, and insightful narrative will keep you engaged. 

  • Fantastic overall cast that really worked the material so amazingly. Kudos to Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, James Hong, and Jamie Lee Curtis in a role I never imagined her to be in.

  • There are a lot of great scenes, sequences, and surprising plot developments to be enthusiastic about, which in part are due to the direction and the cast, but I also need to acknowledge the excellent camera work and editing that really worked well with the narrative. 

  • I absolutely loved the thematic commentaries and the underlying resolution to the premise. It spoke to me in ways that I just did not expect it to. 

NEGATIVES

  • There is a lot of absurdist nonsense in this film, and that might be too much for some to put up with. 

  • All that exposition and the general premise of the movie might be too confusing for some people. 

  • Certain moments of the movie might be too disgusting or too bizarre, depending on your sensibilities. 

  • At one point in the story, it might get to be too much of a depressing downer. 

  • Lots of flashing imagery here. Epilepsy warning is needed. 

LOVED IT enjoyeditlikedititsokayitsmehitsterrible

Everything Everywhere All At Once - watched in IN THEATERS

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

POSITIVES

  • Did you enjoy the first one? Well, I think you will like this one too, as it offers an entertaining story that isn’t afraid to go into random plot directions to keep things exciting. 

  • Cast is solid. Ben Schwartz, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, Idris Elba, Jim Carrey, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, plus many more. They embrace who their characters are, and go all in. Sonic & Tails. Sonic & Knuckles. Sonic & Robotnik. Sonic & Tom. Those character interactions and relationships are one of the best elements of this movie, and the cast helps a lot there. 

  • With Sonic and his quick wisecracking, Robotnik and his insane wackiness, running-jokes, alternative ways to say shit without saying shit, fun gaming easter eggs, pop culture references, plus the whole premise in general that is pretty out there, the humor, comedy, and light-hearted tone of the movie should keep you amused. 

  • One-upping the first movie, this one gives you multiple locations and scenarios for some entertaining scenes and sequences. Sonic vs Knuckles. That battle with the Russians. Hawaii! That final battle that should make the video game fan in you smiling. Plus more! I’m going to give a shout out to the soundtrack too while I’m at it! 

  • Loved the themes presented in the movie. I truly feel like they are the kind of things a 10 Year old kid should hear and learn, when they are watching this. 

NEGATIVES

  • Is there a thing as the CG being too realistic for these cartoon characters, but without it being too realistic? At some points, the uncanny valley feeling just creeps in.  

  • Is there also such a thing as too many pop culture references? Olive Garden is one thing, but don’t play a drinking game when they reference pop culture because you will be too passed out drunk to finish the movie. 

  • Is the use of plot conveniences to move the story along simple efficient screenwriting or just lazy? 

  • Is the cartoon level juvenile humor just perfect for this movie, or keeps it from being for everybody’s kind of entertainment? 

  • Is there a need to have characters like Wade or Stone or Randall be in this movie, when their roles are kinda underused and kinda thankless?  

lovedit ENJOYED IT likedititsokayitsmehitsterrible

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 - watched it IN THEATERS

Moonshot

POSITIVES

  • A romantic-comedy premise with a space travel setting? Meet cutes and awkward encounters? That’s a combo that works really well in this movie. 

  • The quirky, comedic, clever dialogue is really entertaining here. Plus the human - A.I. interactions just delighted me. Bantering with robots! 

  • Fantastic cast here. Cole Sprouse as Walt is a ball of charming energy, Lana Condor as Sophie is adorably serious and anxious. Plus all that wonderful supporting cast, from Michelle Buteau, Emily Rudd, Mason Gooding, Zach Braff, to Jac Huberman as Angie / Cornelia the A.I. voice, and Peter Woodward as Gary the Robot. .

  • One of the main reasons this is a fun movie to check out, is the oil and water relationship between Sophie and Walt which perfectly carries the plot. 

  • Commentary on fixing Earth's trash problem, and about class inequalities, is very Wall-E and I’m all in. 

NEGATIVES

  • It's not your most original narrative and you kinda know where it's going. 

  • Some unbelievable plot developments. Don't let that distract you too much. 

  • Not exactly your big budget sci-fi movie, and it shows. 

  • Besides space travel, the future tech presented isn't very sci-fi inspired. 

  • Is that an old iPhone or iPad that they're using in the future?! 

lovedit ENJOYED IT likedititsokayitsmehitsterrible

Moonshot - watched it on HBO MAX

The Bubble

POSITIVES

  • Irreverent comedy about making a movie in a quarantine bubble during a pandemic. You down for all the meta? 

  • It's unflattering perspective on entertainers and the entertainment industry is very amusing. I'm pretty sure you'll at least either chuckle at some of the references. 

  • Kudos to the ensemble cast (and all the cameo) for just making an effort with the roles given to them. Some of them even excel at it. Karen Gillan, Fred Armisen, Samson Kayo, Peter Serafinowicz, Harry Trevaldwyn, Guz Khan, Keegan-Michael Key, Pedro Pascal, Nick Donald, plus several more.  

  • There are several entertaining montages here. Those fun footage from Cliff Beasts 6. Especially that one scene where they are climbing a cliff. That chain of command Zoom call. Movie actually does have some enjoyable scenes to check out. 

  • Best aspect of this movie is its acknowledgement of the non-entertainment crew and assistants in how they deal with the actors. Wished the movie was more on that actually. 

NEGATIVES

  • augh! Another movie that heavily acknowledges the pandemic. Maybe it's too soon to be laughing at jokes surrounding that subject? 

  • At a certain point, you're probably going to get exhausted with how self-aware this movie is with its satirical nature to the premise. Cringe. So much cringe. 

  • I get that TikTok is relevant and all, but damn did I not find those social media scenes entertaining. 

  • The moments that refer to the real world issues seem too much like throwaway performative additions to the narrative. I mean. I mean why bother then? 

  • Watching this movie on Netflix, at one point I noticed that I'm not half way through it yet, and I'm all "I'M NOT HALF WAY THROUGH THIS YET??!!!" 

loveditenjoyeditlikedit ITS OKAY itsmehitsterrible

The Bubble - watched it on NETFLIX

Morbius

POSITIVES

  • If you’re looking for a nostalgic, straight to Blockbuster video, B-movie level storytelling, that is a human monster creature feature to pass the time, then this might fit that bill. 

  • The best thing this movie does is how it depicts those cool vampire powers. 

  • Jared Leto is good as Michael Morpheus. Matt Smith is great hamming it up as Milo. Al Madrigal brings the funny. The cast is generally good. 

  • It’s not a super long movie and squishes in as much plot as it needs with its 144 minutes runtime. 

  • I suppose I’m surprised in myself that I find this as a positive, but hardly anybody seems nonplussed with the fact that this guy has vampire powers. Why should they be? They live in a world where people have super powers. I give the movie some kudos for accepting that fact. 

NEGATIVES

  • This is your basic, unexciting, average, and ho-hum movie. 

  • Dumb screenplay writing. Illogical moments. Contrived manipulative plot turns. 

  • Lame third act. I know I appreciate it not being a 150 minutes superhero-fest, but that’s it?! That’s all it’s going to offer? Then it tosses in those two mind-boggling mid-credits sequences?! 

  • The mish-mash messy looking CG action beats showed promise. That promise it didn’t quite reach. 

  • Adria Arjona, Jared Harris, and Tyrese Gibson deserve better than what they were given to do here. 

loveditenjoyeditlikedit IT’S OKAY itsmehitsterrible

Morbius - watched it IN THEATERS

The Lost City

POSITIVES

  • The combo of Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum as the unlikely pair, going up against the dastardly cartoon villain that is Daniel Radcliffe, in a treasure hunting island adventure, actually makes for a rather likable movie. The adventure aspects in particular are what I really liked. 

  • Playful action set pieces were very enjoyable to watch. From the choreographed physical combat to the chase sequences, plus the visual gags that accompany them. 

  • Appreciated the comedic word play and banter that was present throughout the movie. Those sexual euphamisms happened more often than I thought they would too. Kudos! 

  • Channing Tatum. Bless you for throwing everything in your talent to make your character a fun element to the movie. 

  • Every scene Brad Pitt was in was pure entertainment. But also a big shout out to great work by Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Patti Harrison, and Oscar Nuñez. 

NEGATIVES

  • The comedy was hit or miss, and I would say it was mostly miss.

  • I know that this is supposed to be a “romantic” comedy, but the romance aspect didn’t quite work for me. 

  • Seemed like we got two different versions of the Alan Dash character, and the movie didn’t quite figure out how to properly juggle that. 

  • Felt like Sandra Bullock could have given more life to her Loretta Sage character. It was like she was just walking through her role. 

  • One scene tried to awkwardly justify murder in a comedic way. Just NO to that. Remember how I said that the humor was mostly a miss? 

loveditenjoyedit LIKED IT itsokayitsmehitsterrible

The Lost City - watched it IN THEATERS

Flee

POSITIVES

  • An interesting historical and social commentary of a movie, that is part interview based, mixed with dramatic animated recreations, that is based on a true story. Emotional stuff.  

  • Fascinating story about what it's like to be a refugee. The hardship and struggles portrayed just made me so sad and depressed. It’s heartbreaking.

  • Second act in particular is highly engaging seeing where the plot is progressing. 

  • The animation style, mixed with the occasional archival live footage lends this movie a distinctive narrative. Animated Jean Claude Van Damme? 

  • If anything else, I hope this movie educates you on the subject matters presented. 

NEGATIVES 

  • Some people will not necessarily find the appeal of the animation style. 

  • Subject matters are also something that might not interest some people at all. 

  • The almost documentary style might feel boring. 

  • Considering what this movie is about, I honestly wouldn't have minded them removing the more light hearted moments. 

  • Oh no, another subtitled film. I hope that isn't too much of a barrier for you. 

lovedit ENJOYED IT likedititsokayitsmehitsterrible

Flee (Flugt) - watched it on HULU

The Worst Person in the World

POSITIVES

  • An amazing whiplash of plot turns that showcases this movie's compelling narrative, that unfolds in multiple distinct chapters. 

  • Those character dynamics, conversations, and subject matters that are brought up in this movie, are a huge factor of what makes the story engaging. 

  • Visually appealing. Showcasing some great locations in Oslo, Norway. A couple of chapters even takes things up a notch with the visuals that you probably wouldn’t have expected from a movie like this.

  • If you couldn't already figure it out a few chapters in, Renate Rainsve is absolutely spectacular as our lead character Julie. Kudos to Anders Danielsen Lie and Herbert Nordrum for their supporting but highly important roles as well. 

  • This story is quite the journey from beginning until the very end. Provocative and contemplative. If you can see elements of the themes that you can relate with, then it should leave a mark on your thoughts.

NEGATIVES

  • Narrative and pacing isn't going to be for everybody. 

  • They're are lulls in the movie that might make you feel bored and hope for more excitement. 

  • Subject matters are probably going to make some uncomfortable or triggered. 

  • Boobs, penis, and sex. A simple warning to those who mind.  

  • A couple of plot coincidences that seem a little too convenient. 

lovedit ENJOYED IT likedititsokayitsmehitsterrible

The Worst Person In The World (Verdens verste menneske) - watched it on VIDEO ON DEMAND