dmyrwood Reviews

Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)

Review + segment ranking

[7/10 · 19 January 2024]

Watched for the first time as a rising twilight zone fan! (And a Spielberg fan) It does a feel a little like 4 episodes of twilight zone stitched together (part of me thinks they could've made one feature length long twilight zone story) but multiple stories in one for a movie somehow seems fitting for a movie adaptation of an anthology series! (Four for the price of one I guess!) And it's neat having four different directors and their styles with each story. My personal ranking of the segments 4. It's a good life (segment 3) Takes WAY too long to get going and I doesn't find a good takeaway like with the other segments. What am I supposed to take away from this?! (Also why would that that teacher want to be that kids teacher after witnessing all of that?!) It was the only part where the movie lost me a bit. Does have interesting surreal weird moments though. 3. A nightmare in 20,00 feet The films most iconic scene! It's a bit of a slow burn but when the suspense and intensity comes and it does it's job! It is also a intriguing study of the human mind and how it can mess with us; let us see things that may...or may not be there... (I do love how this part of the movie leaves that up for interpretation.) 2. Time out This and nightmare might switch but this one just stood out to me as an interesting idea of putting a racist in the minorities shoes. (Experiencing things through their perspectives) is some of it a bit forced? Maybe but it was an effective first segment (R. I. P. To the actor though) 1. Kick the can I'm probably biased as I'm a Spielberg guy but this was where the film peaked imho. It is the most optimistic of the segments. (Which was refreshing) Beyond that it is a truly touching story of these senior citizens desiring to be young again but through literally becoming young again, they learn to "keep an young mind in their older bodies", (to never let go of the spirit of youthfulness even in their old age) and to appreciate and make the best of their present life. A message I found to be the most poignant of the film. Honestly "kick the can" could have been a satisfying short film on its own. Overall a solid enough flick with good mix of suspense, intrigue, food for thought and "something scary";)

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

It's a wonderful movie

[10/10 · 19 January 2024]

What can I say it's a wonderful classic film! It has great premise but that premise only works because we first spend most of the film with the characters! The characters are relatable and lovable (who doesn't feel a need for purpose in life like George Bailey does) By seeing what George's life was is that makes the alternate reality later in the film more impactful. The film is ultimately about life, God's greatest gift to us. Life is precious and how we live impacts others. It may even be life changing to someone and we do not realize it. (Like how George in saving his younger brother's life saved the lives of others in the future). We are given life and we are not to waste it whether it be exotic (like what George dreamed of) or ordinary. My only criticisms of the film are minor nitpicks. (The effects of the angels in heaven could be better, a couple characters like violet are fun but do not serve the story much and there's always some scenes I like more than others) These critiques do not affect the impact of the rest of the film for me though. I do not say this often but this is a near perfect movie! A great story, characters, humor, conflict, a great message and a satisfying ending. Truly a timeless masterpiece that will hopefully be cherished for years to come!

Theater Camp (2023)

Should've been for me but was it?

[5/10 · 19 January 2024]

I watched this one as a theatre kid, it unfortunately did not do it for me. I'll start with positives, the movie has a solid opening (introducing this camp and its founder) with a unique jokes and ways of introducing the characters. The actors are good. (Even got real theatre actor Ben Platt in the lead). I did not know this was a mockumentary going into it but I do enjoy that style and it made the camp feel real at points. And I still resonated with some of it; remembering theatre experiences similar to my own. Which is what made me wish that a film called "theatre camp" spent more time with the theatre camp. As a theatre kid myself I know we can be crazy and colorful human beings! I wish could have been injected into the theatre kids of the film. There are moments but the campers of the film are mostly unmemorable. Instead we get a cliche story; of course there's a rival camp who wants to foreclose the theatre camp and they have to pull off the impossible show to save the camp! Along with humor that was solid enough at first to unfunny as it went along. It is a bummer as I was hoping this movie would be for me...but it wasn't.

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)

Classic!

[8/10 · 20 December 2023]

I watched this before "Wonka" and it still holds up!

What surprised me about this movie was how great it is even before they get into the factory! It's well setup with introducing the characters, (enough that we clearly who they all are) the hunt for the golden tickets is surprisingly exciting (and fairly realistic to what I would imagine it would be like if a company did something like it) and creating intrigue around the Willy wonka character. Charlie is setup well too as he leaves you sympathetic towards him with his situation with his family, so you root for him.

When they do make it to the factory it is fun! It is magical while becoming just the right amount of disturbing and darkly comedic.

(I do think the rotten kids survived by the way. Wonka says as much in one scene. I do enjoy the uncertainly of it though) How could I not mention Wonka himself. Just his introduction might be one of the great character introductions that perfectly shows from the beginning you can not always predict what is going on with this guy. His sardonic witty personality adds much to it too! (That's where the late Gene Wilder was a perfect fit for the character).

My few criticisms of the film are I don't really care for the floating to the fan scene with grandpa Joe and Charlie. I feel like if you're trying to establish that Charlie is the good obedient kid that scene does the opposite. To be fair Grandpa Joe was influencing him and maybe it was to show that Charlie isn't perfect (the problem "Charlie and the chocolate factory" has) If Charlie hadn't gotten down from the fan he would not have been any different than the other kids. And them getting down by burping seemed a bit juvenile in an otherwise smart movie. Second, while Charlie is well setup as a character from the beginning I do wish we learned more about why he desired the golden ticket so badly. (Especially when it's more clearer with the other kids, wanting the golden ticket for selfish reasons). Grandpa Joe says it's Charlie's dream but I feel we do not really see that much with Charlie. (Besides some scenes of disappointment when he doesn't get the ticket the first couple of times). And the last couple Oppa Loopa songs are a little forced (like we get the message you don't have to sing it to us!) The rest of their songs are catchy though and that goes for the rest of the soundtrack too! This is also a musical and the songs are very memorable! (I just watched it and I already have some of the songs in my head!) And there are some quoteable quotes by the end which is always a plus for me! Besides my few qualms with it this is overall a timeless classic and will be for years to come!

Godzilla Minus One (2023)

Now that's a monster movie!

[9/10 · 20 December 2023]

This is one of those movies I checked out because I heard it was good and I enjoy a good monster movie. (This was also my first Japanese made Godzilla film I've seen. Which was a cool experience for me).

First off the post world war 2 setting stood out right away! It adds the context of facing a monster after a war which made for an interesting take on the material. What makes this movie different from typical monster fair is that it is very character based. The film makes you care about the characters even when Godzilla is not on the screen. It even sets up a good arc for our main character leading into a satisfying ending! American Godzilla and other monster movies could learn a lot from this movie. And when the Godzilla action shows up it is pretty sweet! You get what you want! It is thrilling, and even intense! All while still showing the high stakes of the damage that Godzilla can do. All of this makes for a great fresh new monster movie! Once of my surprises of the year, I would highly recommend!;)

Secret Invasion (2023)

A bit dull

[3/10 · 4 August 2023]

An unfortunate dud! I will admit I went into it with lower exceptions because I was concerned with what they would do with the secret invasion story. It is conceptually a great story of disguised invaders which makes for a scary intriguing story but you could also ruin some characters by revealing them to be a skrull (which they kinda did). For such an intriguing concept most of the show turns out to be a drag (makes the slower moments in falcon in the winter soldier look interesting). The better scenes come with Nick Fury and Talos and some conversations Fury also has with Maria Hill in the first episode but besides that it's a bit dull. There are some shocking deaths...until they do that one too many times (seriously half of the episodes end with a characters death). There is an interesting twist with Fury's personal life but it feels a little out of no where and underdeveloped.

My biggest issue with the show is that I personally feel like this show and story in this universe was sabotaged by Captain Marvel. Spoilers for that movie- the skrulls were nice refugees! So even if it's a "different set of skrulls" the jump from peaceful refugees to trying to start world war 3 is a stretch! The villains weak motivation for this doesn't help either. Maybe not the worst MCU show but it probably is my least favorite of the Disney plus lineup.

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (II) (2023)

A tale of a rising star

[9/10 · 4 August 2023]

One of the best movies of the year! Such a powerful story of a young Star rising to fame but through that same fame losing himself. (Not knowing who he was anymore). Along with the cool behind the scenes stories on a couple of his movies and shows. As well as a story of love in how he met the love of his love in one of the co stars of "Family ties". And she still stays with him even through the hard times he faced later. Speaking of which if you're a back to the future fan it can be quite emotional to see what the lead eventual went through with Parkinson's disease (at least it was for me). It's kinda a great film for bringing awareness to Parkinson's (the synonyms of it and what one endures through with it). The only thing I could've gone without was the language. Amazing documentary check it out whenever you get the time! (Especially if you're a Michael J Fox or Back to the future fan;).

Disenchanted (2022)

"Disenchanted" Review

[7/10 · 28 November 2022]

They stole that plot from "Wonder Woman 1984" didn't they?

That joke aside I went in as someone who has nostalgia for "Enchanted" and I think I enjoyed it more than most people. I wasn't really digging the first 20 minutes (just felt like a typical mom/teen dramedy with enchanted characters) but once the main plot kicked in I was engaged enough. I didn't think I would like "Evil Gizelle" but I thought it worked!

Good performance from Amy Adams switching between the two personalities (Through different vocals and behavior) Commendable acting! And we know gazelle is a sweet innocent person so the threat of her changing raises the stakes quite well! It's a clever fairytale twist having a Princess become a step mother. (Honestly think they could've just kept her as both a hero and a villain without an actual antagonist) It's always great to see always great to see more 2-D animation again!

They could've done more with the "after ever after" setup besides dissatisfaction, I wish we could've seen more Edward (as I was a standout character in the first one to me) and I think there was a missed opportunity to parody more modern Disney tropes (like they did the classic tropes in the first and in this one) guess I'lI have to be satisfied with "there's always one villain, the rest is either a minion or revealed too late") Definitely not as good as the first one (I honestly would watch that one over this one) and they could've done a lot more with a sequel but it's acceptable and has some clever enough concepts!;)

Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)

Why is this a "Classic?!"

[2/10 · 28 November 2022]

Apparently this is to some held as a holiday classic...I don't get it. Opinion: I thought this was dreadful! Paper thin story, the characters are unlikable from the beginning (I even found John Candy annoying and I like John Candy rest his soul!) and I didn't laugh once! (I hope y'all like ball jokes because there's a number of them here!) I can see that they were trying to create a bond between the two characters but I didn't buy it. They hate each other for way too long and by the time their finally "friends" (the last 20 minutes) I think it was too late. And you know that trope where they have the characters argue and spilt up yeah they do that THRICE here! And as a holiday movie I don't think it captures the spirit of the holiday at all (or any fall atmosphere to go with thanksgiving) Only stand out things to me where some decent "what the heck?!" moments towards the end (the truck scene) and the twist with John candy's character (though I think it came too late and it's no excuse for his characters extreme behaviors!) If you like this movie cool enjoy (you see a better movie than I do) but I'll be looking for a different thanksgiving movie...

Death on the Nile (2022)

First Agatha Mystery ("Death on the Nile" review)

[7/10 · 19 November 2022]

This is my first Agatha Christie mystery (though I was familiar with her work) and I really enjoyed it! I like how it took its time with the mystery (taking a good half of the movie to get into any actual deaths) it creates time to establish and spend time with the suspects (and even the victims before their dreaded fates). Then it's a good classic investigative mystery once the murdering begins. Really fascinated with the Poirot character too! He's a good detective, has an interesting backstory (that gives you just enough to be able to fill in the rest of it yourself) and an epic mustache! A bit slow in some parts, some things could've been better explained and I could've gone without the epilogue. Overall a fun watch! I always enjoy a good mystery! 7.5/10 (Really want to check out "Murder on the Orient Express now too!;)

The Adam Project (2022)

A fun Time!

[8/10 · 22 August 2022]

I really liked this one! I can't resist a good time travel story and this one has some good time travel elements (even something in the second half I hadn't seen explored in a time travel story) along with some fun sci-fi and even some surprisingly sweet moments! Fun underrated movie from this year worth a watch!;)

The Gray Man (2022)

"Six" out of ten

[6/10 · 21 August 2022]

Eh, felt like just another spy action movie when I would honestly rather watch MI, Bond or winter soldier. There is some decent action, decent villain in Evans and nice callbacks. Btw I'm pretty sure this movie was sponsored by skittles and cameras (and there are some funny obvious product placements for those!) Ironic that the mains characters name is "six" as that's exactly what I would give it.....out of ten.

(Also why did they spend $200 Million on this?)

The Stolen Life (2020)

Amazing first movie!

[9/10 · 10 August 2022]

I now add this to the list movies with first time filmmakers that nailed it! This was a great...dare say a near perfect short film! Structure wise it has everything the intro, the setup, the conflict, and the resolution! Along with that a good story with understandable characters (Including a villainess with a good complex backstory and a hero with mortal struggles). Pretty well made too (besides a few small technical and editing issues imo). Very inspiring that this was made by a 14 year old!;)

Moon Knight (2022)

Had me by the second half

[7/10 · 17 May 2022]

I went in knowing the basics of the character and not as hyped about it as others but still intrigued. Which is the word I would use "intrigued" the first half of the show was a bit of a slow start imo though intriguing enough and a unique concept for a character a hero with multiple personalities and a good performance of that in Oscar issac (it's fun to see so many characters next to his name on the credits by the final episode) but it had me by the second half as it focused more on the relationship between the personalities and how weird it got! (Wandavision has got nothing on where this show goes!)Plus some fun tomb raiding adventures (which I appreciate as a fan of that genre) it's an interesting mix of Comic book, action/adventure, a little horror and psychological character exploration all in one. Not my favorite marvel show but it grew on me more over time!;)

Family Camp (2022)

A mixed bag of a feature skit

[4/10 · 17 May 2022]

*Mild Spoilers ahead* So I am familiar with the skit guys, have watched some of their videos and quite enjoyed them (some even hilarious!) and I'm a Robert Amaya fan (who only has a supporting role but always fun to see) so they make a movie I check this out....the films title is kinda self explanatory but it basically turns into if Homer Simpson and Ned Flanders went camping together (only Ned Flanders is a funnier satire). It's a cliche but decent enough premise a family wanting to get out of the house and spend time at a camp together but for a movie called "Family Camp" most of the second half of the movie focuses on our two guys in the woods together away from their families. (With some jokes that land and some that blow) I am a Christian and as a Christian film it's kinda not good. Characters who are supposed to be Christ-following act the complete opposite by the second half. Speaking but not acting it. (There's even a scene where they even say "This has 'thou shall not steal' all over it" but they end up stealing it anyways. Christianity aside the characters just as characters can be quite annoying and over the top too (which can be tedious when one of those is one of the two main characters that were spending time with!) And a reveal near the end that was straight up idiotic! I hate to say some of these things because there are some ideas and elements here I enjoyed. They get straight to the point in the first 15 minutes, some decent gags and callbacks, and an interesting thought of the perfect family not being as they seem (seeming perfect bit secretly falling apart). As well as a few nice small messages here and there (even if they can get hidden in some of the issues mentioned) Christian movies get a bad rep for being "cheesy" and this is a good example of that, sometimes bad but some scenes can also be so over the top that it can be a tad fun. So not great and I honestly would recommend watching some skit guy videos instead (those are funnier anyways) however I am happy to see the skit guys with a movie and trying it out. Hopefully they improve and the next one will be better;)

The Book of Boba Fett: Chapter 5: Return of the Mandalorian (2022) Season 1, Episode 5

Funny that this is my favorite episode!

[8/10 · 26 January 2022]

This is really just an unofficial episode of Mandalorian season 3 in the middle of the Boba Fett show but I'm okay with that! (As I'm more invested in Mando then Boba) Great to see a follow up to mandalorian season 2, seeing what Dinn is up too (seeing him with the dark saber was amazing!) and some of the possible setup for season 3. (Also so glad he finally got a replacement to the razorcrest!) And the ending of this episode actually made me interested in seeing where they go in the second half of this series (hopefully a team up connecting the two shows together!;)

Nomadland (2020)

Very real!

[8/10 · 2 May 2021]

I finally checked out this movie with all the Oscar buzz (although I heard of it before because my father read an article about it) And I can what that buzz was about. This is definitely an more unique and different movie in a good way. As you follow on this journey with this woman Fern,and her nomadic lifestyle and the nomadic community (as well as slowly finding out of fern's past) Big standout was actually while I knew it was a scripted movie it still feel very real! I don't know it was the way it was shot (drama film but in the style of a documentary or a very well made homemade movie) or the fantastic acting from the actors, their interactions and their speech make them seem like real people in real situations. (Then again then also used real nomads so maybe some of it was real). The movie is overall more on the slow side but it's not boring either it's still an interesting story and world to follow. Good movie and can't wait to see what Chloe Zhao does with eternals now!;)

The Office: Threat Level Midnight (2011) Season 7, Episode 16

From a non-office fan

[25 March 2021]

I am not an fan of the office but I finally checked out this episode and okay this one was golden! A good mix of homemade movie,documentary and James Bond parody. I think we all have that one homemade movie that we made with our friends at one time so makes it much more relatable. And the way the office workers react to the movie and the editing and effects in the movie itself is so accurate! So of the episodes I have seen of this show this one is probably my favorite!;)

Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian: Technology (2020) Season 1, Episode 4

Best episode of the series! ( so far!)

[9/10 · 25 January 2021]

I always enjoy watching behind the scenes so I had to check out this series after watching the Mandalorian and this was the episode I was most looking forward to. And honestly if you have to watch just one episode this would be the one! The creators showing off their new "stagecraft technology" is very fascinating!" As a film fan It's interesting seeing how they shoot everything in an indoor studio practically with the virtual background screens and still making it look very believable! (Almost what Lucas was trying to do with the prequels done right).and faverau foes give some pretty good lighting advice at the beginning here especially for when dealing with CG. So I'm just impressed with what they were able else pull off here and I really hope they allow for this technology to be used in other media because it does have potential for future filmmaking! ( especially for amateur filmmakers;)

We Can Be Heroes (II) (2020)

I...kinda....liked....it

[7/10 · 25 January 2021]

Funny enough I watched this movie a few months after seeing the "original" shark boy and Lavagirl (which is a movie I enjoy ironically, it's hilarious) so I knew what I was getting into and I went in with the right expectations. It's a cheesy kids superhero flick that is also an unofficial sequel to sharkboy and lavagirl and going in with that mind I actually ended up....kinda liking it. Plus I am a superhero guy so I kinda enjoyed seeing this group of kids with their different powers and love how creative some of them got too! ( standouts being Acappella, Forward and rewind and a good running gag with "Slow-mo") Now granted I can understand why one would hate it though. Because I'll say it myself, On a TECHNICAL level... Is this a very dumb cheesy movie? YES. Is the plot very cliche and with a few exceptions very predictable? OH YEAH! And is there lots of unbelievable CGI? DEFINITELY! However did I enjoy myself watching it? Also Yes. It's one of those movies where if you watch it as a fun cheesy superhero flick like I did it's a good time! ;)

Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Ember Island Players (2008) Season 3, Episode 17

Hilarious!

[8/10 · 8 July 2020]

So I literally just watched 23 minutes of our characters watching a stage play.....and I don't even care! This episode was hysterical! Again I find avatar makes the best filler episodes that are still very enjoyable to great. I do enjoy some theater myself so seeing a hilariously poorly done play of the characters story is so meta and funny! ( I mean those reactions from our gang oh those reactions!) and funny that even Soka and Toph just went along with it after a while! ( probably cuz their the ones that can accept humor the most) the only thing missing was them going up to the play manager and going " hey you didn't ask for the rights to our story!" 😆

Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Beach (2007) Season 3, Episode 5

What was that?!

[5/10 · 26 June 2020]

This is one of the weakest episodes of avatar! The story just slows down to a hult and gets replaced with our fire nation antagonists....playing volleyball, kissing and teen high school party movie cliches! And even focusing on a bit on zuko and that one girl who's relationship I never even cared about. Plus throughout the episode the characters are so mean-spirited I mean I get their fire nation but to get that for a full episode?! And then sure we still get tiny scenes of our main gang (aang and others) but honestly not enough. The only redeemable parts here are with Zuko where you can see more of his feelings shine. And there are some good ideas here but execution is everything. So if tales of ba sing se is an example of how you can do an amazing filler episode this is an example of a bad one....

Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Tales of Ba Sing Se (2006) Season 2, Episode 15

One of my favorites so far!

[9/10 · 22 June 2020]

I have been watching through the series for the first time and I finally got to this "episode" even though it's really just a collection of shorts and wow this might be my favorite episode and it's not even an official episode! I enjoyed the short format it's a good way of showing what the characters are up to without it having to take over the main story and you get to have some nice moments with them. And of course like many I've seen mentioned the Zuko and Iroh shorts are excellent! You get to spend more time with them as characters and even get to see their feelings and emotions.( the standout being with iroh) I loved this I wouldn't mind if some other shows did something similar;)

Lego Masters: Good Vs. Evil (2020) Season 1, Episode 8

"I'm giving this a B-"

[6/10 · 26 March 2020]

I was kinda disappointed by this episode and it's not just cuz they cut out a fan favorite team. Idk just something about the episode itself felt kinda sloppy and thrown together at times. And of course reminding us over and over about if one team lose they can lose too and that one has the gold brick yeah yeah we get it! And they do something at the end before judging that felt just kinda like make up rule out of nowhere. Now gotta to say I actually do really like this show ( cuz I'm a big LEGO fan myself) just felt like this was one of the more weaker episodes. But hey let's hope things wrap up well with the final two episodes!!;)

Lego Masters (2020– )

Off to a fun start!

[8/10 · 6 February 2020]

I'm a a big LEGO guy so finished watching the first episode that just aired ( so this isn't really a full series review yet will have to do that later) but it's hoe stay off to a fun start. Will is a good host as I thought and the show even can have a bit of a a reality/game show feel to it ( a prize gold brick and all) and love that they seem to really inspire creativity in what they build and you can pick which you like. But yeah not to much to say yet cuz obviously only one episode but looking forward to the rest of the series in the meantime I'll have to practice my LEGO building skills;)