Welcome to my first review of 2020. Today I will be reviewing "1917", "Like A Boss", "Just Mercy", and "The Grudge." 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/channel/UC03E6K3QHRMp7Vs0S6wHm6Q
It is time to start with "The Grudge." Here is the trailer:
- There is a very short 30 second-ish scene that is quite funny and it brings about the only pleasure you will experience in this movie
- All of the jump scares are incredibly predictable and weak.
- A lot of the actors really didn't appear to be trying very hard and I honestly can't blame them given the material they had to work with.
- Most of the characters are so dumb that I found myself rooting for them to die. Even the one person I was rooting for eventually did something so dumb I started rooting against him too.
- There is a lot of eye roll worthy dialogue throughout.
- The characters are so underdeveloped that it becomes difficult to become attached to any of them.
- Finally, the pacing is brutal. This felt like a 3 hour movie and it was only half of that length. Nothing was interesting and it dragged on and on. I have never been so bored while watching a horror movie.
"The Grudge" is yet another example of a new movie from a beloved franchise being so devoid of anything that made the originals enjoyable that it is not worth watching at all. It is the definition of a cynical cash grab and I can't recommend watching this.
It is time to move on to "Just Mercy." Here is the trailer:
- The cast is incredible. Everyone involved is clearly giving it everything. There are some truly fantastic performances in particular from Michael B Jordan, Jaime Foxx, and Brie Larson.
- There are some really emotional scenes throughout. There are some that will moved me and others that left me beyond sickened.
- The tone of the movies is one that is understated when it needs to be and really bleak and really hopeful when needed. It is a tricky balance but the movie manages to pull it off.
- The pacing is surprisingly good. Movies of this nature tend to drag sometimes but this always feels like it is moving forward at an appropriate speed.
- Finally, even though this movie takes place in the 1980s, it is still incredibly relevant and has a lot to say about things taking place today.
- I've got nothing.
"Just Mercy" is a very powerful film that forces it's audience members to have an important conversation about topics that are sadly still very relevant today. I absolutely recommend watching this movie.
It is time to discuss "Like A Boss." Here is the trailer:
- Rose Byrne and Tiffany Haddish have really good chemistry.
- This movie feels so much longer than it is. Certain jokes that don't land just keep going which doesn't help.
- There are many plot points that just don't make any sense at all. I'm pretty sure there wasn't a lot of thought that went into the writing in general.
- Selma Hayek's performance is so overly cartoonish that it becomes really jarring to watch.
- Finally, very few of the jokes were any funny. They were both poorly timed and and not well thought out.
"Like A Boss" is a good idea that botches the execution at just about every turn. I do not recommend seeing this one.
Finally, let us talk about "1917." Here is the trailer:
- This movie is shot in a way that it looks like it is done in one take and the movie manages to pull that off beautifully.
- The acting is incredible from everybody involved. It is obvious that the cast is pouring their hearts and souls into this.
- The action scenes are done with a lot of care. They come off as thrilling/horrifying/intense all at the same time.
- The movie does a really good job of giving the audience a glimpse of the reality of war. It manages to really capture some of the horrific things that can go down on the battlefield while not glorifying war itself. It strikes the balance of the heroism of the characters but why putting soldiers in situations like this is not something to strive for.
- Finally, there are many incredibly emotional moments that will hit the audience right in the heart.
- I've got nothing.
"1917" is an absolute masterpiece of a film that captures everything about trench warefare in world war 1 with such care. The movie is intense and relentless which is appropriate given the subject matter. I absolutely recommend seeing this in theaters.
Thanks for reading everyone!! As usual, feel free to leave a comment as I enjoy reading them!