Today, I will be reviewing two movies that could not be more different from each other. I will be reviewing "Tomorrowland" which is an original sci-fi flick from Disney and "Poltergeist" which is a remake of the 1982 horror classic of the same name. Before I get started, I'd like to give a shoutout to the Free Gamer's Alliance YouTube channel. Their videos cover everything from walkthroughs, glitches, easter eggs, and various amusing video game related content, all of which is delivered with some colorful commentary while they have buckets of fun doing it. Here is the link:
https://www.youtube.com/user/FreeGamersAlliance/
Lets kick things off with "Poltergeist." Here is the trailer:
- The acting in this movie is surprisingly competent for a horror flick. Sam Rockwell in particular does a fairly decent job.
- There are some genuinely funny moments in this movie (both intentional and unintentional).
The Bad:
- It really is hard to care about many of the characters in this. One thing that the 1982 version of the movie did so well is that it took the time to make sure that the audience gets to know about these people and as a result really care about them. This one skips right over that.
- Another thing done well by the original that is botched here is the buildup. This one kind of jumps right into things and there is no tension as a result. Good horror means that tension is built not necessarily slowly but not quickly either.
- There are certain scenes clearly designed to scare people but they end up becoming unintentionally hilarious as they are executed quite poorly.
- Finally, this movie falls into one of the worst horror movie bad habits. That is, the frequent use of predictable jump scares. If you want to scare an audience, you have to take them by surprise. Every jump scare here can be seen coming from a mile away.
The Verdict:
While "Poltergeist" isn't the biggest trainwreck of a horror remake that I have seen. It still comes off as disappointing. The 1982 version of "Poltergeist" is like the cinematic equivalent of an amazing chocolate chip cookie. This remake is like the sugar free version of that cookie with the chocolate chips being replaced by raisins. Its decent but its also a huge disappointment. I would say skip this and watch the 1982 version instead.
Time to move on to "Tomorrowland." Here is the trailer:
- The cast is excellent. However, the lead character played by Britt Robertson is the best. She is so likeable from the minute you meet her that you can't help but care about what happens to her.
- Visually, this movie is absolutely spectacular.
- Finally, the very last scene is excellent and will leave you feeling good as you leave the theater.
The Bad:
- The plot of this movie is so insanely convoluted that it will end up feeling way too silly as a result.
- The dialogue in this movie is so heavy handed that it absolutely comes off as condescending. Also, the narration at the start of the movie is nothing short of cringeworthy
- There are some really insane plot holes in this movie. Normally, there are plot holes especially in big budget cinema but some of these are so insanely big that it is hard not to notice them.
- Finally, the way that the plot is resolved is so insanely stupid that you will be rolling your eyes.
The Verdict:
I think that "Tomorrowland" has some good intentions and lots of ambition. Unfortunately, it falls victim to some exceptionally poor writing and as a result it comes across as watchable but not particularly memorable or special. I would say that "Tomorrowland" is only worth watching in theaters if you are a super fan of incredible visuals to the point where nothing else matters. Otherwise, I would say don't spend the money on a ticket and watch it when it ends up on TV.
Thanks for reading everyone! As usual, feel free to leave a comment but please be advised that if you are going to read a potential comment that spoilers may be present.