PG-13

Bumblebee (2018) [Movie Review]

 in Movies by

Starring

Hailee Steinfeld – Charlie
Jorge Lendeborg Jr. – Memo
John Cena – Agent Burns

Summary

“On the run in the year of 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small Californian beach town. Charlie, on the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken.”

Imdb.com

Review

I haven’t been to the movie theatre in ages and so my mom kicked my father and I out yesterday to go see a movie, and this was the choice! As a massive Transformers fan, I have been really excited for this movie since the teaser trailer came out a while ago! I didn’t grow up with the original TV show, which was from the 80’s, but after I saw the first Transformers movie so many years back, I dipped into the original show and it is so cute. It’s just such a classic – that an the original G.I. Joe.

My first draw to this movie was the fact that it was harping back to the original show and man, was it!

So like the original TV show!
Instead of the Transformers being completely realistic in the way that the new ones are, these ones really harped back to the original Autobots and Decepticons, with Optimus Prime being his well known square self and even some of the classic bad guys like Soundwave and Cassettes.

Really did only focus on Bumblebee.
As you can tell with the title, this movie was all going to be about Bee, which was good but I also wanted more. With the opening scene on Cybertron and seeing all of the original Transformers, I wanted to see more of them, but sadly they were not a big part in the movie. So I really hope that they make some more in a similar style to this one, going back to the original Transformers design, because I think that it could be so well done! Don’t get me wrong, I love the new designs in the movies, but this was just something special.

Simple story and not too over the top with the action.
With some of the newer TF movies, like The Last Knight, it’s action from the moment the movie starts all the way to the end. This one had so much more going on. You really saw a beautiful connection between Charlie and Bee, which was so wonderful. Bee has always been this sweet autobot who is also a badass, but in this one, you really understood the connection possible between the Autobots and Humans which you never got from the other movies. Of course you had the traditional epic ‘bot fight scenes, but it wasn’t as much non-stop action as before as there was a deeper story here.

A few continuity issues – I really hope they clarify!
As was stated in The Last Knight, the Autobots supposedly first came to Earth at the time of Merlin, the Wizard, and before then. Then Bumblebee came to earth during WWI, but in this movie it was supposedly his first time coming to earth in 1987. So it seems to be that timelines aren’t lining up which has been bothering me. It can be fixed, such as sending the Autobots away, like they came and left and then returned. But that was a big stand out to me. Also, not exactly continuity, but it was a little unclear that Bee had lost his memory in this movie because I was confused why he wasn’t doing his job and suddenly it became clear he had no memory. Maybe I wasn’t pay attention well enough but that confused me just a little.

Overall, one of the best Transformers movies.
Honestly I adored this movie. It was so well done visually, the music was really good too. It was such a throwback to the 80’s and 90’s with the time period and just so well done. It was so like the original show which I really liked. The animations weren’t perfect in the sense that they weren’t realistically melded into the world, especially seen with the opening scenes on Cybertron, but it was done in this ‘cartoon’ kind of style. It was realistic with it paying homage to the old show, which I really did adore.

This one gets 4/5 teacups.

Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle (2018) [Netflix Movie Review] 5

 in Books-to-Movie / Movies by

Starring
Christian Bale – Bagheera
Cate Blanchett – Kaa
Benedict Cumberbatch – Shere Khan
Rohan Chand – Mowgli

Summary
“A human child raised by wolves must face off against a menacing tiger named Shere Khan, as well as his own origins”
-From IMDB.com

Review

So I have been sooooo excited for this movie from when I saw the trailer a few months back. It just looked so epic and so beautiful and the music used in the trailer just caught my attention and had me watching the trailer over and over. So, I was literally counting down the days until December 7th and the release on Netflix.

I’m honestly quite impressed with some of the things that Netflix has been releasing recently. They’ve been high quality and really well done. So clearly Netflix is doing incredibly well!

Rohan Chand as “Mowgli” in the Netflix film “Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle”

Beautiful visuals!
The visuals in this movie were incredible. There were a few moments that the animations were…not perfect, but it didn’t really bother me because it gave it that story book quality. It wasn’t too fluid that it was like a real life movie, but it was fluid enough that it looked real with it harping back to it’s origins.

Darker than I thought.
If you’re looking for another retelling of The Jungle Book, then this isn’t really it. This movie was quite dark, definitely for older viewers. There was violence and such, so if your little one likes The Jungle Book, this isn’t really on the same level as it. It covers some darker issues and some of the scenarios were quite dark! 

“We look into their eyes as we kill them, so the soul doesn’t depart alone.”

Bagheera

A retelling of a classic – with a new twist.
So this really was a retelling of the classic story with a few changes. There was no King Louis and there were no songs like were in the original story. It was another angle on the life of Mowgli, something a little more realistic with a twist of colonialism In a way.

Baloo…a little creepy!
I always loved Baloo as he’s such a cuddly character in the story, but in this one, it looked like Baloo had been to war and back and was a little worse for wear. He just looked so much rougher than the others and I wasn’t expecting that as he’s just the cuddliest one in the original, so that was a different twist 

Incredible voice actors!
I really did enjoy the actors that they chose for the voices! They fit well and Benedict Cumberbatch has completely nailed this evil kind of voice. 10/10~

Overall I highly recommend.
This was an absolutely fantastic movie and I do recommend. It isn’t totally heartwarming and I was crying, I’ll say that. But it was such a beautiful watch. The story was incredible, the visuals amazing and overall it was just such a ride! As someone who grew up with the originals, I’m loving all of these retelling’s of classics from when I was a child. They’re just enough more mature to really draw me in again, but harp back to my childhood enough to remind me of the original story!

5 teacups
This show gets 5 out of 5 teaups!

 Happy Watching!

Movie Review: The Dark Tower (2017)

 in Movies by

Starring

Matthew McConaughey – Walter
Idris Elba – Roland
Tom Taylor – Walter

Summary

“The last Gunslinger, Roland Deschain, has been locked in an eternal battle with Walter O’Dim, also known as the Man in Black, determined to prevent him from toppling the Dark Tower, which holds the universe together. With the fate of the worlds at stake, good and evil will collide in the ultimate battle as only Roland can defend the Tower from the Man in Black.”

-From IMDB.com

Review

I’ve been waiting a while to see this movie, especially after I had read the first book of the series last year. After the first book, I was really wondering how they were going to put all of that into a movie, especially with how complex and confusing it was. I really struggled to write the book review for it because it was one of those books that was quite difficult to summarize and turn into words. So how would they visualize it all?

Well I got my answer. They dumbed it down….a lot. While the basic idea was there, it was nothing like the first book. I mean they started to play around with what was given to them. In the book, there was a lot more of it based on a derelict world with everything destroyed. It felt like a wild west kind of book, but the movie was based more in NYC and a little bit in the waste land around the other universes. I mean, sure it worked, but if you read the book you would most likely be a little disappointed.

Don’t get my wrong, I did really enjoy it and I absolutely loved the cast. Idris Elba was a perfect Gunslinger and Matthew McConaughey was an amazing Man in Black, but I felt like there just could have been so much more. It quickly explained who the Man in Black was, and that he was magical, but in the book you never really understood. Of course I only ever read book one. But considering how many books that the movie series had to work with, with each book averaging about 500 pages (and some as long as 800!) they honestly could have done so much.

The movie was also only 95 minutes too. Harry Potter Book 1 was the same length and it got a movie that was over two hours. Of course, it was much more popular but I feel when you make a movie based on a book, you need to stick a little closer.

Movie Review: The Dark Tower

They answered a lot of questions that were left unanswered, or made you wonder, in the book. It was clear the movie ended in a way that meant that another one wasn’t needed. So if you watch it, you wouldn’t be waiting for a second movie. With the book, it had a similar way to end, like you could just not continue to read, but there were so many questions left unanswered. The movie was a nice neat package.

Visually the movie was incredible. it was beautiful and the gun-work rivaled that of John Wick 1 and 2 (which I thought was impossible)! But the Gunslinger is supposed to be incredible with weapons. It was just impressive to see that.

But the idea of the book, the deeper psychological and philosophical idea seemed to be completely ignored in the book. So I was a little upset about that.

C’est la vie…nothing you can really do.

If you haven’t read the book, it’s a good movie. If you have read it, you might be a little underwhelmed.

For a more detailed technical review, check out here!

Happy Watching!

Movie Review: A Monster Calls (2016)

 in Books / Books-to-Movie / Movies by

“There is not always a good guy. Nor is there always a bad one. Most people are somewhere in between.”

Starring

Lewis MacDougall – Connor
Sigourney Weaver – Grandma
Felicity Jones – Mum
Liam Neeson – The Monster

Summary

“The monster does not come walking often. This time it comes to Connor, and it asks for the one thing Connor cannot bring himself to do. Tell the truth. This is a very touching story about a boy who feels very damaged, guilty and mostly angry. He struggles at school with bullies, and pity looks from everyone, and at home with his mother’s sickness. Will Connor overcome his problems? Will everything be okay? Will Connor be able to speak the truth?”

-From IMDB.com

A Monster Calls

From Instagram – @mylibrarycardworeout

Review

So first off I went through almost half a box of tissues on this movie. IT ABSOLUTELY KILLED ME. I literally don’t think a movie has hurt me as much as this movie hurt me. It was just so damn sad! But so beautiful at the same time!

The movie stayed really close to the book which made me really happy! I mean besides the ending which just closed the movie, it was quite literally the book in movie format. I was kind of worried that they were going to change things or stray from the book because if you did with a book like this, it would have lost the entire meaning, and purpose, of the book. So I was really happy that it stayed so close to it!

Next, all of the stories told in the book, the teachings from The Monster, were really cool as well. They were these water-coloring scenes that added this fantastical element to it. It was an incredibly creative idea.

As for the cinematography, it was incredible! Visually, this movie was beyond stunning. However, I don’t think I will be watching it again, or at least for a long time to come. This was a movie you probably only watch once or twice, just because of what the movie is about. It was a very painful experience and it left you needing something that would make you feel happy afterwards. I unfortunately didn’t so I just felt depressed for the rest of the day honestly.

Now, you may be reading this review and thinking, “then why the hell would I watch a movie as depressing as this?” Because it was such an experience. I learnt so much about acceptance and that it’s okay to feel how Connor did in the movie.

There was also one scene which really struck me. When the mother was dying and it was time for ‘the talk’, Connor was unable to say anything. You could see that he was extremely angry and upset and unsure what to do. The mum said to him something along the lines of, ” do not worry. When you look back on this moment in a few years and realize that you didn’t say anything to me, anything you wanted to say, just know that I already know it all.” Essentially it was saying that even if you cannot say you love someone who is dying, if you showed it to them in your life, then they already know. It was also a wonderful way to know that when someone is a child and unable to express what they feel, parents know all! It was such a scene and really resounded with me.

Honestly, I do recommend watching this movie. But read the book first. It’s not a difficult read and together, they are beautiful.

I was sad to see how many people haven’t seen it, nor heard of it. It was just so incredibly powerful and think that everyone should see it. Yes, it’s tough, but dealing with these situations can be. And the movie was just…I honestly struggle putting into words what it was to me. This will be in my memory forever as one of the few movies that really had a profound impact on me. This is not a movie to really sit down and enjoy but to just experience.

Happy Watching and don’t forget your box of tissues.

Deepwater Horizon (2016)

 in History / Movies by

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. 

Starring

Mark Wahlberg – Mike Williams
Kurt Russell – Jimmy Harrell
Douglas M. Griffin – Landry
James DuMont – O’Bryan

Deepwater Horizon

From Amazon.com

Summary

 

“Mark Wahlberg leads an all-star cast in this unforgettably powerful film inspired by a thrilling story of real-life heroes. For the one hundred and twenty-six people aboard the Deepwater Horizon offshore oil rig, April 20, 2010, began like any normal day. Before day s end, the world would bear witness to one of the greatest man-made disasters in U.S. history. DEEPWATER HORIZON reveals the brave acts of the men and women who rose to the challenge and risked everything to lead others to safety.”

-From Amazon.com

Review

This movie was such an eye-opener and I had no idea. When I first saw the trailer, I knew that I wanted to see it. However, I didn’t have time to go and see it in the theatres, and I was also unsure of how good it was going to be. I had heard good things about it however it slowly dropped off my radar (with all the other amazing movies on the way or that have come out recently). But I was traveling recently and it was on the entertainment system in the plane an I had to watch it. I will be re-watching it due to the fact that it was such a good movie and the tiny screens on planes do not do it justice.

First of all, when you heard about the BP oil spill in 2010, you heard about it through the news from the corporate perspective. You saw pictures of the oil rig, and of the spill, however you never really got to hear about it from the people who worked on the rig and what they went through. This movie really helped you understand just what happened to them and how the entire situation was just because of bureaucracy, in short. So due to the new angle that it shows about the situation, I do recommend watching it.

Second, the acting was phenomenal.  It wasn’t anything special with the acting as all the characters were based off real people and real events and it felt like a dramatization in every way, which I really did like because you got to learn something, not just be entertained. I learnt so much about the entire situation that I had no idea about before I watched it.

deepwater horizon

As for how they portrayed it, they did an amazing job. The entire situation when the pressure started to build with the oil to the final explosion really kept you on your toes and questioning what would happen next. The ending also was really good in my opinion because of how realistic it was. (Not spoilers) When people were saved and finally made it back to a hotel while they waited for family members to get in or to be sent back to their destination, the survivors were walking through the lobby and family members who didn’t know where their family were, were there yelling at the survivors. The survivors had an idea of who lived and who died but you had this scene of a family getting into Mark Wahlbergs characters face and you could see the shock and confusion in the character, as well as the anger and confusion from the families who weren’t informed of the situation and unsure what to expect. It was really quite chilling. And it ended with you just feeling so confused and unsure of why these kinds of things happen, to such a shocking intensity.

The movie does have language, and is quite graphic with the injuries (bones are visible) which I was not prepared for, however it was as realistic as it gets.

I honestly think that this movie did a fantastic job of telling the story from the workers perspective and seeing how corporate really caused this to happen.

If you haven’t seen it, I really do recommend checking it out and watching it. However, find a fluffy movie for after as you will need a pick-me-up.

Happy Watching!