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Reviews
Cadet Kelly (2002)
Cliché-ridden propaganda
Look, I get it.
Kelly Collins is supposed to represent the stereotypical "spoiled girl from the big city" cliché. But they wrote her so stupid here, it's almost unbearable.
I took notice of the fact this this film came out about a year after 9/11 and a year prior to the invasion of Iraq, which has me wondering if this is little more than pro-military propaganda aimed at teenagers looking for a more structured life. The best of motion pictures age well, but this one did so like milk because of all the clichés.
Happy to give 1 star for casting Kim Possible's VA for the role of the instructor, though.
Hereditary (2018)
A 6, with 1 extra point for Toni Colette's acting.
I watched this film with high expectations after many people said it's the scariest film they've seen in a while. I came out very disappointed. The plot in this felt like a 6, maybe 6.5, one of those horror films you can say "oh yeah, I've seen that" and wouldn't mind watching it again for kicks, but I wasn't at all glued to my seat. Throughout the whole film, I never stopped asking myself "why was there NO police investigation carried out following Charlie's death? That's felony DUI right there."
That, and that alone, not even the whole Paimon cult thing, served as a constant reminder that this is nothing but a work of fiction. And I also felt that Peter was reduced to nothing but what seemed like a plot device. He was always no more than a medium for delivery, and that he was.
I have to give an extra star for Toni Colette's performance, though. That otherworldly scream and reaction genuinely felt like it's how a mother would react upon discovering the headless body of her little girl in her car.
Split (2016)
A showcase of McAvoy's talent
A brilliant parade of McAvoy's diverse acting skills, really. That's all I have to say
To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You (2020)
Someone's gotta say it
Gosh, where to begin? The whole film felt rushed, yet it moved so slowly. The sudden change of ethnicity for John Ambrose for the sake of diversity was lame and uncalled for as a sad attempt for brownie points. The weird lip syncing musical montage did NOT need to be there, that felt super weird. And the last kiss where they (or at least the background?) went up into the air was soo Sims 2 and 2008.
Please, no more weird directorial choices for the final instalment
Mortal Engines (2018)
Decidedly forgettable
This is the type of film you watch when you're absolutely beyond bored, but you wanna go see something, except you've seen everything else your local is screening. All the CGI work couldn't possibly mask hollow characters, and weak (if there was any) plots. You can watch this once, but you'll forget about it the moment you leave the auditorium.
Welcome to Marwen (2018)
The journey of healing
Good heavens, this film is something else. It tied so many things together; a symbol of femininity also used as a symbol of strength, dealing with rejection, psychological trauma, reminding us how inherently inhuman Nazis are, and art! Initially I thought it was a remarkably imaginative work, but when I learned it was based on a true story my jaw was on the floor. It's one of those films where I won't watch it again because I know I can never repeat the same feelings I had when I first watched the movie.
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)
No tension whatsoever
Every bit of the plot was predictable, there was no tension or high emotions in any of the scenes. Just.. meh
Cats (2019)
What were they thinking?
I can't imagine how much the actors must've been paid to have this in their resume. From Swift to Elba, JHud to Rebel Wilson. Judy Dench, even! No amount of acting talent could save this sorry excuse for a self-indulgent furry fantasy
Game of Thrones: The Iron Throne (2019)
Shame. Shame. Shame.
Good heavens, where do I start?
"The end of the Dothraki" then they suddenly appeared in large numbers again?
The Unsullied were at least halved after the battle in Winterfell. Then they appeared in large numbers again?
Who was that unnamed Dornish Prince? How did he get a legitimate claim to the Dornish Throne?
Greyworm slaughtered soldiers and citizens of King's Landing "because they're still breathing" but let Jon Snow, the murderer of his Queen, live as a prisoner?
In "The Last of the Starks" Arya went on about how she and her siblings + Snow were exactly that, but then in the final episode she decided to go away and never return?
"Who has a better story than Bran the Broken?"? Why don't we start with Sansa?
Where was Gendry in the last episode? Why did he not abandon his title to travel with Arya? Wouldn't that be more in character?
And so, so many more..
Future World (2018)
Poor imitation of Mad Max
Unfortunate that good actors subjected themselves to this poor attempt at another franchise's imitation.
Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
People seem to be missing the point...
...but that may not be all their fault. I didn't like how this was directed, to be quite frank. The story is supposed to focus on a couple's love and the standard trope of how one family is not accepting of the couple, with the occasional super luxurious glamour thrown in, but sometimes the cut between one story to another felt so sudden, almost forced even.
I haven't much to say about the not-too-memorable acting, but I will say I felt that I wanted to connect more to Astrid Teo rather than Rachel Chu. Maybe because Rachel was following a standard K-Drama "family/matriarch no approve" plot, whereas Astrid I saw more as herself, living her own life through enjoyments and struggles.
Also, how about representing Singapore's ethnic diversity some more?
Sing Street (2016)
CRIMINALLY UNDERRATED
It's criminal how underrated this film is! All the songs are great, and the storyline was so in tune with reality.
I went in to see another teen movie about the struggles of reaching your dream, but I got so much more. Life in a broken home, blind devotion, repairing friendships, it was all so beautifully done and all seemed really smooth.
I can understand that certain elements of the film may not make it suitable for worldwide distribution (the romance between two minors is prime example), but damn. This is criminally underrated, and arguably more enjoyable than the other musical film that stole 2016.
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
Insulting
I created an IMDb account specifically to add my 2 cents on here.
I don't even know where to start. The lack of proper, well-written character depth, the boring plot, or the fact that recurring characters bear no resemblance whatsoever to their counterparts in previous films??
First gargantuan mistake in my less-than-humble opinion, is when General Leia Organa floated in space - presumably taking advantage the Force. Except the Force does not work like that at all, and being in vacuum space with no air support or space suit whatsoever should've killed her.
The new support character was made with minimum effort, and the acting was barely tolerable. She later ended up pushing Finn out of the way when he was ready to become a martyr in order to save whoever remained of the Resistance - he was READY to sacrifice himself for something bigger than himself, or the world he ever knew. But NOPE, gotta have a cheap non-memorable love story on the side, eh?
Then, the cheap tagline of "the spark that will light the fire that burns the First Order"? What film does Rian Johnson think he's directing, the next Hunger Games?
I gave an extra star for the pogs. They're cute, as are the robots. But even then their appearances were kept to a minimum.
I can't believe how insulting this is to the original creators of Star Wars, and the fans who have grown up with it, or grown up loving it.