JacksonW0523 Reviews

Baby Assassins: 2 Babies (2023)

Kind of forgettable

[6/10 · 11 October 2023]

Saori Izawa is a talented stuntwoman and she can pull of the stunts really well. I like the goofy and cute chemistry between the two protagonists.

The movie slows down during the middle parts of it and it kind of got boring. It seems like these characters don't really have a goal that like drives the plot forward. They just kind of wander around doing random stuff until something happens.

There was like an attempt to have an emotional scene because you thought one character was going to die but there is a twist to it that takes away the emotional impact that it could've had.

The two villains were somewhat relatable and I enjoyed their interactions with each other but they just shows up at random times and I forgot about them for most of the movies. They also never really seemed to pose a threat to the protagonists until at the end.

The end fight was good but the other action scenes were kind of forgettable.

High & Low: The Red Rain (2016)

A decent spin-off

[7/10 · 30 June 2023]

If you haven't watched the High & low tv series or first the movie, then you might not like this as much. The series and the first movie sets up the Amamiya brothers as this powerful force within the High & Low universe so if you haven't seen it, you might be kind of confused.

I liked the brotherly chemistry and dynamics between the brothers. They're very loyal to each other. Their backstory was also touching and emotional. The plot of them searching for their lost brother, Takeru was engaging enough.

The Amamiya brothers were very cool and badass with their black leather jackets and motorcycles. The fight scenes were pretty well done. Although some scenes it's a bit too over the top but if you just turn your brain off and not think about the logic of it, it should be fine. Some scenes of them walking and they do this movement with their shoulders it seems a bit weird and awkward.

The Flash (I) (2023)

enjoyable movie despite flaws

[6/10 · 23 June 2023]

Ezra Miller was good as the flash. I liked the chemistry between him and his younger self. It was an interesting concept to explore, what would it be like if you met a younger version of yourself? You would probably find yourself annoying. The humor for the most part was done well. The action scenes were enjoyable too.

Michael Keaton was good as Batman. Seeing him kick ass was fun but I felt like there was no real reason to bring him back besides nostalgia bait. His character already had a story arc and it wasn't like the Andrew Garfield spiderman where he redeemed himself. At this point I am kind of bored of seeing Batman. It's a flash movie but they need batman to attract viewers.

Supergirl was alright, she didn't really do much but she had some cool fight scenes. I would've liked to see her character have more development.

The biggest problem with the movie is the CGI. I was expecting a multiple million dollar blockbuster would have better CGI. Some of the effects looked like PS5 graphics. Some scenes looked cartoonish. I'm not a big fan of how much CG they put on the Flash's suit. The whole multiverse/different timeline thing was a bit confusing and seemed like the writers didn't really defined clear rules of how it works but rather just used it as plot convenience so they don't have to explain much.

High & Low: The Movie (2016)

A unique experience

[8/10 · 22 June 2023]

The style of this movie was great. I liked the aesthetic of it. Almost every character is unique and likeable in their own ways. The outfits and designs of the characters were distinguishable. I liked how the different gangs had their own style. The fights were great and different from the typical Hollywood action scenes. They incorporate agility very well into the fights. You see characters sprinting and sliding around so that was very nuanced. The actors being mostly singers and dancers do very well with the action scenes. The soundtracks are also really good.

The only issue is that there are a lot of characters and if you haven't watched the show, you might be a bit confused.

Turning Point 2 (2011)

Boring and mediocre movie at best

[5/10 · 16 January 2021]

I was only interested in this movie because I just recently found out that it's a sequel to the TV show Lives of Omission. This movie was pretty boring. Nothing really memorable happened. It's labeled as an action thriller but I found nothing thrilling nor any real action. The lead actor was good as Laughing and Francis Ng played the villain excellently. He's a psychology professor who knows how to analyze and read people to manipulate them. At times he makes me question the concept of black and white and what is good and what is bad. He had potential but the plot was kind of jumbled and confusing. I don't see what his motives were in doing all the things he did. There's also a female character who's a drug dealer and I don't see why she's even needed to be in the movie. Besides Laughing and the professor I didn't care about the other characters. I felt like this movie tried too hard to be clever by having flashbacks and trying to tie the new characters to event that happened in the show.

The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974)

Good mix of vampires + kung fu

[6/10 · 31 October 2020]

The concept of this movie is cool. What is not to like about vampires mixed with kung fu fighting? Peter Cushing is great as the leading role. The supporting cast were great too like David Chieng. My only problem is that sometimes the movie slows down to a point where it gets a little boring. Also Dracula wasn't in the movie as much as I thought he would and the end fight against Dracula was too short. But other then that it is a good kung fu flick mixed with a little bit of horror.

Kung Fu League (2018)

corny and laughably bad

[5/10 · 14 August 2020]

I respect the cast members like Vincent Zhao, Andy On and Dennis To because they're legit martial arts practitioners but this movie is laughably bad. They wasted the martial arts potential of the cast. This movie almost makes a mockery out of kung fu heroes. There is a romance between the main character and this girl in which I didn't care about, there was barely any chemistry. The fight scenes are corny. So scenes were so corny that I laughed out loud.

Guns Akimbo (2019)

stylish, over the top and fun movie

[8/10 · 23 July 2020]

The stylistic choices for this movie was good. Daniel Radcliffe was good as the lead role. I liked seeing his character progress from being an average joe to being a gun wielding badass. Samara Weaving was good too. Her character has a nice twist that made her more sympathetic. The action scenes were good. This movie knows what it wants to be. It knows that it is over the top. There was one scene where a character survives a car crash that would've killed a human being and I could think of a better way they could've went about it. At the end it sets up for a potential sequel that I am looking forward to seeing.

Office Uprising (2018)

simple and enjoyable popcorn flick

[7/10 · 17 July 2020]

This movie is exactly what I expected going into it. It's got a straightforward premise where these guys are locked in at a office building with zombie-like workers. I like the premise. I also liked the chemistry between the Brenton Thwaite, Jane Levy and Karan Soni. Zachary Levi as the villain worked. There's violence and blood if you're into that type of movies.

Slackers (2002)

mostly boring and the comedy movie fell flat

[5/10 · 15 July 2020]

I like the premise of this movie, that's why I watched it. A group of friends who cheat through college, that sounds fun but it's not really about that. It's about this boring relationship between Dave, the main character and this girl. The comedic moments weren't funny and comes off cringey. Also the final message of the movie is contradictory because Dave talks about honesty and how he changed as a better man but then at the end him and his friends print out fake college diplomas which is the opposite of honest and he's still cheating.

Zombieland: Double Tap (2019)

brought back the fun and the feel of the first movie

[8/10 · 6 July 2020]

This movie brought back the nostalgia of the 2010s. It still has the fun. The cast has good chemistry. It's a simple movie with a fairly simple premise but it works and it's entertaining to watch. There hasn't been much zombie movies recently, so it was nice to bring back zombies again after the Walking Dead ended. Also the post credit scene was awesome!

Inside the Girls (2014)

not a great film but better than I expected

[6/10 · 23 June 2020]

I like the premise of the movie about these girls who move into their college dormitory which seems sketchy and supposedly haunted. Then strange things started happening which led to a student committing suicide. I also like how it takes place in the 1930s, it has the aesthetics of that era. There's a couple of plot twists which was deeper than I thought for this movie. But the downside is that some of the acting seems wooden and forced. Like there's this creepy professor and right off the bat I had a bad feeling about him. The first half was kind of boring. Some scenes felt like it was from a porno and that was like the director's fantasy or something.

Vehicle 19 (2013)

good concept but the execution was poor

[6/10 · 19 June 2020]

I like the premise of this film, a guy rents a car but picks up the wrong car. He finds a woman kidnapped and locked inside the car and now he's caught in between a criminal conspiracy involving corrupted cops. I like how the entire movie is filmed in his vehicle, it looks more realistic and there were some intense chase sequences. But the pacing and the execution of the film is just boring. There were times when I was sitting there like can this movie pick up? Sometimes it just like slows to a crawl.

1917 (2019)

phenomenal film!

[9/10 · 19 June 2020]

This film was phenomenal! It was intense at times and emotional when it needs to be. The cinematography and the way this movie was shot like in one take is amazing as you would expect. It feels like you're in the movie along with the main characters. No movie has made me feel that way and to do this in a war movie, gives such a surreal experience. It feels so real! The story was simple but effective. It is about getting from point A to point B but it's epic.

The Lost Boys (1987)

a classic film and one of the best vampire movie I've seen

[7/10 · 13 June 2020]

The premise of this movie is great. I love Santa Carla and how it portrays the "beach culture" and the "punk culture." If you want to see nostalgia for the 80s this is the movie to watch. The chemistry between the two main characters, Sam and Michael is great. The film blends comedy and horror perfectly. Kiefer Sunderland was great as the antagonist. It portrays teenage vampires as cool and not cheesy. There was also a little twist at the end which I thought worked.

First Love (2019)

a hidden gem

[7/10 · 13 June 2020]

This movie was great. It had good action sequences with good amounts of blood and gore. The action scenes were thrilling and intense. The storytelling was complex. The lead protagonist, Leo seemed a little bland at the beginning but he has good character development later on. One of the downsides to this movie was a chase scene towards the end that seemed slightly out of place for a type of movie like this.

Escape Plan (2013)

enjoyable popcorn flick

[7/10 · 9 June 2020]

The chemistry between Stallone and Schwarzenegger is good. The antagonist played by Jim Caviezel is great, he was intense and menacing. The plot was more clever than I was expecting for this kind of movie. But the downside was that it was a little predictable at times.

Pleasantville (1998)

great and wholesome movie

[8/10 · 4 June 2020]

I liked this movie and its concept of being transported to a tv show where it's all black and white. The cast were good. I like the symbolism of change and how people react to it. There were slight references to politics of a certain era that I felt worked perfectly. The only downside is that I felt like some parts of the movie slowed down a bit and I felt a little bored. Also there was like a plot hole that I would've liked to see answered about a character and what they did at the end of the film.

Men in Black: International (2019)

nothing special and forgettable

[5/10 · 2 June 2020]

First off, I like Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson's chemistry. There were some decent action scenes. The secondary villain was somewhat cool. But that is just about the best thing about this movie. This feels like a cash grab by the studio. The story and writing is pretty bland. There's no real nuance in this movie and it lacks the fun and humor of the MIB with Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. The big villain wasn't interesting and this movie was just nothing we haven't seen from the earlier movies.

Gemini Man (2019)

it was a mediocre movie

[5/10 · 2 June 2020]

Some of the CGI for young Will Smith looks good but some scenes it looks kind of off. That was the selling point of the movie, they made it look like it was a revolutionary technology in a movie but it really wasn't. If this was made in like before 2010, it might have been cool but it wasn't much that we haven't seen before. Will Smith and his chemistry with the supporting cast like Mary-Elizabeth Winstead and Benedict Wong was good. The action scenes were enjoyable and they sort of touched on the morality of cloning but the story was pretty cliche and nothing really new. The final showdown was not that climatic and the villain was weak.

Inuyashiki (2018)

one of the best anime based movies I've seen

[8/10 · 2 June 2020]

This movie has good character development with the main character and the villain. Both of these characters you feel sympathetic for. But one thing is that I felt like the villain guy wasn't that tormented in life and by society that he would try to do what he wanted to at the end of the movie (no spoilers). The pacing of this film was good, it never really slowed down where I felt bored. There were a few emotional scenes. The actors who play the villain and the main role were great. Also the CGI was pretty solid for a Japanese film.

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Definitely lives up to the original

[8/10 · 10 May 2020]

This is how a sequel should be made. It was a very risky thing to do making a sequel to what seemed like a perfect movie but they pulled it off. The world of Blade Runner still feels fresh. The main character and his character development is just as complex as the first movie. It tops it off with more action than the first one and the action scenes were good, the end fight had me at the edge of my seat and had me thinking was the main character going to survive. The cast was great and the writing subverts expectation.

Blade Runner (1982)

Not really my type of film but I can appreciate its art

[7/10 · 10 May 2020]

First of the visuals and cinematography is amazing for its time. The world that this film sets up feels real. The set the design is great. It's like a future with advanced technology but still feels gloomy. Kind of like the dump that was New York City back in the 70s but in the future. This movie had a great theme and it's complex but it might take a couple viewings to see it. I went into this thinking it was a sci-fi action film but it isn't. So not really my taste but I still found it quite enjoyable.

Spawn (1997)

corny but not as bad as the critics say it is

[6/10 · 11 April 2020]

The visual effects were good for it's time. Spawn's suit looks really cool like the practical effects on it were very well done. It's got most of the source material down. Michael Jai White was pretty good as the role. He has the martial arts and the physicality but I wished they would've let him use his martial arts more in the movie rather than cgi. But the one who nearly stole the show was John Leguizamo as the Violator. He was unrecognizable. I didn't realize it was him til halfway through. I liked how they kind of touched on the emotional side of Spawn where he has to deal with his wife moving on. Though that could've been done better. The villain was the generic evil guy. There are probably many plot holes but I decide not to look too much into it. This is by no means a good movie but it's still enjoyable and kind of a guilty pleasure.

Transporter 3 (2008)

it was okay

[6/10 · 7 April 2020]

Not as good as the previous films but still enjoyable to some degree. Jason Statham once again doesn't disappoint with his badass action scenes and he's really that awesome action hero but the fight scenes in this movie is shot in ways where there's sped up shots and shaky cam which wasn't necessary. I liked how the story plays out with first something happens and then it is revealed later on how they're all connected. I didn't really buy that romance between Transporter and the main actress. There was this awkward love making scene. This movie suffers from something that the other films suffered from, which is the villain is kind of weak and forgettable.