The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

This is one of the select few movies I have seen and yet remember hardly anything of it.

A long time ago when I was but a 16 year old wee lad, my mom actually took me to see this in theaters, I had no definitive drive to see it but went with an open mind. Ohhh.....yikes. Yeah, that was an interesting sit and it's been over 10 long years and I remembered hardly anything besides the obvious horrific, disturbing, f***ed up shit that occurs in a few scenes. So I was walking in relatively blind once more and found a pretty solid mystery thriller. So our handsome sexy man Daniel Craig, plays investigative reporter Mikael who is called into service by a wealthy gentlemen, played by Christopher Plummer, to solve a 40 year old case of his missing presumed dead daughter and this is the strangest prequel to Knives Out I could imagine. Meanwhile as that story plays out we meet Lisbeth, played incredibly well by Rooney Mara, who goes through some serious shit of her own before she also is roped into this murder mystery, putting her advanced computer skills and logical thinking to the test to assist. What I like a great deal is, this could so super easily be seen as two seperate movies haphazardly daisy chained together but it never breaks immersion or intrigue, you know these two characters will meet at a certain point but it gives each of them time for the audience to understand them before the dynamic shifts into a duo. And Daniel and Rooney have fantastic chemistry, quite honestly getting a few laughs out of me because of how these two personalities work in tandem. Lisbeth is very analytical, anti-social, and clearly different from the pack while Mikael is more normal leading man material but is given his own problems and personality while keeping him an average journalist. He's no Sherlock, or Bond action man, but needless to say Daniel pulls it off expertly. The mystery gains intrigue very quickly, and it is a somewhat methodical some would say boring form of detective work, connecting the dots of this family who are held suspect in this girl's death and who knows who considering the family is very seperate and hardly talks to one another. Now on one hand I can see that being a problem, juggling many characters and names and trying to keep all the strands together in your head, but even with my more lax viewing of this and forgetting who some people were it didn't negatively affect me. I was keeping up with it but not by much, this isn't the movie that points and shouts a clue, a clue! It doesn't hold your hand but I feel the movie is more about keeping your intrigue and attention instead of making you a junior detective who's trying to solve it first. It's directed well and no doubt many people can get super into it and piece together the puzzle which is great for this kind of genre. The interesting thing is when it seems everything is wrapped up, the truth is found, case closed you think that would be the end all be all. But in actuality the movie goes on for some time afterward, I can see people checking their watch like come the hell on the movie is over, but it gives some closure to Mikael and his crisis at the beginning of the film, some would consider it last minute payoff to a relatively unimportant set up but I got really into it. It shows our leads do more stuff after the fact, and they gain a quantum of solace before the credits. I know, I went there, and not to go on a tangent but the ending did kinda give me Quantum vibes. I may not have focused much on the more shocking stuff, and it is effectively disturbing, and I still somewhat question how my mom felt with me sitting next to her during such parts, but they are more a disgusting seedy seasoning and not the main focus. I enjoyed it, was engaged, and knew it was gonna give me a fair bit to talk about. 4 stars, 8.5/10, next week is more likely than not gonna be a short week of reviews but it's dinosaurs so it can't be all bad.

No Time To Die

As strict first impressions go I very much liked this movie but this is the first time where I am curious where the series will go from here.

As an exit for Daniel, it worked. As a Bond film I thought it was great. But it just raises too many questions, not in term of plot but what comes next? Despite my love for the Brosnan era, it never crossed my mind once what would happen after Die Another Day, the Bond series has always been something that has been a matter of fact, those movies have always been around. I was always looking back and never ahead until now. But I had a real good time with it. Does it improve on Spectre? Partially. It does it's own thing entirely with Bond coming out of retirement to usurp the new villain Safin from releasing a blood virus on the world, while he reconnects with Madeliene. It's a good plot and for an almost 3 hour film the pace was kept excellently. Craig is having the most fun I think of this role than any others in his tenure, he gets little moments of each Bond. He gets some charm from Connery, the humor of Moore, the romance of Lazenby, the cold kill of Dalton, and the action man status of Brosnan. And yeah, there was some fan wank in this film boy but I won't lie, I loved it. When I heard the chords of We Have All The Time In The World and Vesper's theme I did have an emotional response. The marketing campaign puts a lot of emphasis on secrets and changing the game which it delivers on quite a bit, but not really in the way you would think. This is one of those movie that will get an In Retrospect one day and there will be much to discuss. New additions to the cast are great with ample love going to Ana and Rami who were excellent. The action got my blood going and was always visually interesting. The sets and locations are wonderful and each used to the fullest. It all worked for me, despite there being some big notes from me. I do definitely recommend it, I would give it 4 stars, and an 8/10. Stay tuned for the also long delayed ranking of the 007 series tomorrow.

Spectre

Alright. Let's get this over with.

Spectre has really put Quantum in a better light for me, it's truthfully the most problematic and so un-Bond film of the series. Never Say Never Again probably has more standing in being a James Bond film and that was nothing but a titanic f*** you and die to Cubby Broccoli, EON productions, and Roger Moore. Now I will give good points here and there, the overall production in terms of cast, cinematography, stunts, locales, and direction is good. However. The sole unifying factor in making this quite possibly the lowest ranking film in this series for me is the story. And what boggles my mind to shattered pieces is this screenplay was written by the same guys who wrote Skyfall, what in the everlasting nine circles of hell is this bullshit? This movie plays out like any generic spy thriller. Take out the Aston, take out Bond, SPECTRE, the returning cast members, and the little references to past films, and you would lose precisely nothing in this story. Granted we start off actually really good with a Birdman-esque sequence of long takes in Mexico City where Bond essentially goes rogue agent in tracking down an assassin which leads to a trail of breadcrumbs culminating to the discovery of the organization of SPECTRE and it's head #1 Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Now on paper that is not a bad plot, we finally get the classic villain organization back after decades of that asshat Kevin McClory (who can eat shit you f***ing hack bastard) locking the rights away in a lawsuit that pretty much cut short the lives of Ian Fleming and Albert Broccoli, and now Barbara can utilize it in a story. Huzzah! It didn't work out that great but I'm happy we can see it again. There is so much I can dig into here, almost going through the plot point by point there is that much stuff to severely question and hate but I will attempt to bullet point some things that hurt the film overall. Madeline Swan is the most bland Bond Girl I have seen and I know Lea Seydoux can act, if memory serves the first film I saw her in was Blue Is The Warmest Color and I really really liked that movie and she did very well in it, but there is no way in this universe or any alternate universe you can convince me that she is the woman Bond decides to settle down with. No. No. Wrong. She has nothing on Tracy or Vesper in the slightest, but I do actually hold high hopes that the next movie will give a lot to her character. The action in this movie is beyond dull, none of it is thrilling, visually interesting, or impactful. It feels so empty, from a car chase more suited to Roger Moore with comedy beats galore, shootouts that makes me feel like I'm in the vacuum of space, and nonsensical final confrontations. I could bitch at nauseatic lengths of the big interconnecting web that this movie tries to weave and include all the movies before. God Marvel just made it impossible for movies just to be movies, and like sheep everyone tried their stab at it. Jesus wept. Okay, gotta focus. Christoph Waltz is a very fine actor, Blofeld is a memorable villain but never had much of a solid grip in terms of personality and initiative, and this is the worst Blofeld I have seen. It does not work in any semblance whatsoever, and once more I hold hope for No Time To Die to actually give the characters something to do. Everyone is acting fine and well here, but there is no meat to these character's bones. Daniel had so much to work with in the last film and could convey so much with a look alone, and here...there's nothing. Not for anyone. It's this void of recognizable elements, with occasional fun and nice bits of dialogue and story, but is so bogged down by everything else it's such an easy skip. I don't like the action, I don't like the big story moments, I certainly don't like Blofeld, I don't like the opening titles all that much, it just gave me nothing. That sucks. Nobody wants to hate a James Bond movie, but when the bullshit mans says that's bullshit you take his word for it. 1.5 stars, 4/10. Tomorrow, the end of an era with an almost 3 hour long runtime. There is no time to die, but you only live twice Mr. Craig, and here's hoping for an all time high.

Skyfall

This is gonna be a hard one to top once No Time To Die hits.

I've heard endless amounts of people say Skyfall is one of their favorites if not their most favorite James Bond movie, and I happen to agree with them. After the tepid at best reaction to Quantum, it was no surprise EON wanted to make the best Bond movie for the 50th anniversary to which I say they did exceptionally well. But would it have really killed them to do a proper gunbarrel? Casino Royale, fine it works, new era, and a brilliant way to introduce the new Bond. Quantum Of Solace, pointless, you could maybe make a case that it bookends the Vesper storyline but come on. Now bloody Skyfall. That's pretty much my only gripe for the movie, it's class from shot one. It implements and executes the best Bond is dead trope of the series, has a wonderful story with actual themes and character development, great action, just enough of a nod to the fans to celebrate the golden anniversary, and really gets to the status quo that we've had for the majority of this series. I do say this is Daniel's best performance, Judi's best performance, has one of the best Bond villains, we get a new Moneypenny and Q who are brilliant, so the actors could not be better picked. Daniel really has come into his own in this role, finally being the Bond we know with the wit, skill, and charm synonymous with the character and is given plenty of little touches that give James some depth. Dame Judi could not be on better form if she tried, the story focuses a lot on her which is awesome in my eyes, and thus she gets to give a truly award winning performance (Seriously the Academy Awards can kiss the darkest part of my pale ass for not even considering this role as a nomination). Javier Bardem is your villain. Sweet Jesus do I love that man. F***ing brilliant, 10/10! I initially gave Ben Whishaw good grief for being our new Quartermaster, because well Q has always been my favorite character in this series above all others, and just like John Cleese I've come to truly love and appreciate their work in these films. Naomie Harris, oh my darling how I adore thee, she is wonderful in this role, honest to God is probably my second or third favorite Moneypenny, just saying. Her potential is almost unbelievable and I truly hope we see these players stick around for a bit. But enough gushing over the performances, how's the story? Quite brilliant, with Bond after a close brush with death returns after MI6 has been bombed and quickly discovers of a past agent with a very single minded purpose of killing M, leading 007 to return to less than missed places to keep her safe. The theme of old vs. new is such a deeply rooted theme, in the visuals, dialogue, and overall story, and one which I say is incredibly welcome and appropriate. No better personified in the hearing scene where MI6 is questioned of whether or not it should even still be a branch of government, that espionage and intelligence gathering has grown beyond the place of spies and agents, and I would go so far as to say it truly is the best scene in the movie. Sam Mendes is a talented director who knows how to convey themes and messages without coming off as head bashingly obvious or insufferable, but also knows how to make damn impressive shots. I mean Casino Royale was outstanding, but this movie has a different view but nevertheless incredibly strong and memorable. Hell even the title sequence is the best of the Craig era and one of the best just period. Hearing Adele on a proper theater sound system sure got the goosebumps going. And this was my second James Bond movie I ever saw in theaters, good God I can't even believe I have to say Quantum was my first. Couldn't I just lie? Strangely I didn't see Spectre in theaters either, which you think would be a no brainer after the huge positive results from Skyfall. But we will get to that movie next time. But for now, easy 4 stars, 9/10, couldn't recommend it more. Skyfall is waaaay up there in the ranking for sure and I highly doubt it's going to be budging anytime soon.

Quantum Of Solace

Well this was mixed at best.

I think right now, at this current moment in time, this is my least favorite James Bond film. But it's surprisingly difficult to explain why. I don't think the story itself is horrible, the cast do fine work and treat it seriously, the action scenes are still well choreographed and have some punch, I really enjoy the dynamic between Bond and M, Mathis, and Camille. So there is undoubtedly positive elements in this movie, but the script itself and more importantly just the execution of the scenes are what really drags this film down. And I know I shouldn't bash the movie's script too hard, it was a horrible year to make movies from 2007 to 2008 because there was a writer strike, so many movies and shows either had to be stalled for an unforseeable amount of time or kind of had to be made up as it went along. This case was the latter, and I can't even begin to imagine filming on set, on a day to day basis, and have no damn clue what will happen next. But again, it's not a total f***ing omnishambles of a dumpster fire disaster. The story picks up like, right off the heels of Casino Royale which has happened a grand total of 0 times in this series to have such flawless continuity, where MI6 has unwittingly discovered an entire organization that has seeped into every government agency that leads Bond on a very long trail, leading him to a philanthropist connected to the organization. It's a very busy plot, a lot of in's, a lot of out's, a lot of what have you's, and it doesn't help at all that the script is very cobbled together and the shooting is worse. I've not to my knowledge seen Mark Forster's work beyond this, so for all I know he could have something going for him, but I hated the editing, and shooting, and even the cinematography isn't all that great. I found it very distracting cause we keep bouncing back and forth between important plot stuff and nothing short of "artistic" wanking trying desperately to be allegorical but comes off hamfisted and irrelevant. We get it. You went to a film class. Stick to the important shit. It wouldn't surprise me for a microsecond if there are videos solely to deconstruct this filming style. It makes me yearn for jump cuts, rubbish back projections, and sped up footage from the Connery era. Now you might be saying well it's a different Bond film because we focus more on his character than the mission so it can be more artsy and different. You'd be wrong though. And an idiot. We've had movies before that focus on Bond himself while still focusing on the mission. On Her Majesty's Secret Service, For Your Eyes Only, Goldeneye, Casino Royale. Don't even try it. The best parts are really the relationships as I've said with our side characters. The fact that Bond goes after our main villain because they tried to kill M, and how their working relationship is strained at the moment because Bond is still a blunt instrument at this phase and M doesn't agree with how he operates is really good stuff. How we get Mathis back which leads to the best relationship building in the entire damn movie, where you can tell they don't hold grudges for each other after Casino Royale but they don't exactly trust one another, yet they work together on thin ice and genuinely have one of the best moments in this whole bloody series where Mathis asks if they've forgiven each other and how they shouldn't hold grudges or seek vengeance. For a brief moment I legit got choked up, cause it is so incredibly sincere and you see that respect and care they have for one another. It's a really short scene but speaks volumes. And I really do appreciate Olga Kurylenko's performance, they share one kiss and that is it, no romance, no end love scene, they meet as sort of kindered spirits with both having the urge to seek revenge on people who lead to the deaths of people they cared about. And they do help each other find that quantum of solace in their lives, I mean that is amazing character dynamics, that is such a great idea for a film, Craig and Kurylenko's chemistry is excellent. It almost enrages me that there is such good things in this movie but it gets bogged down by the story and direction. It even has one of the best endings to any movie in this series, like I'm serious this is right up there with OHMSS, that is how good it is. Cause most Bond movies end with a celebratory aardvarking session, which is all fine and good but then you get endings that actually give you something to remember. Something that sticks out, something that pops, something that you won't forget. It's such a strong ending for an ultimately average movie. That sucks, I've been having a pretty good time with these movies and have been very positive in my ratings but this just gave me hardly anything. 2 stars, 5/10, Skyfall's next so thank your lucky stars and join me tomorrow.

Casino Royale

The game has changed.

What a stark and memorable way to start an entire new era to Bond. Undoubtedly throughout the course of the series the films have had loose continuity and you can track the career of Bond from the early 60s to after the Cold War, but Barbara Broccoli and the producers of EON took some inspiration from Batman Begins and wanted the series to be rebooted and modernized to staggering effect in my estimation. Casino Royale is an excellent Bond film, the filmmakers knew exactly what they wanted and how to do it. Daniel Craig, despite the howls of heresy and betrayal to have a blonde Bond, is probably the closest iteration of Ian Fleming's books while still having the charm of Moore, the action man status of Brosnan, and the intensity of Dalton, yet nevertheless takes the role as his own and does exceptional work being a much more less experienced, reckless, and cold blooded killer. That's why I really stood up for Dalton cause I knew this was what they wanted and they refined it more for this era. I do truly believe Eva Green is objectively one of the best Bond girls, not only because of her relationship with James and I still to this day stand by the only women he ever loved was Vesper and Tracy, but because they give her such an amazing character with attitude and undeniable charm that compliments Craig so damn well. I'm not even going to spiral down that rabbit hole of praising Eva Green, cause I would be here for the next decade so we will move on. And of course they got my man, my sexy man, Mads Mikkelsen playing the villain. He's perfect, they gave him just enough to make him honestly one of the most striking physiques of the entire series, with the slight Pleasance scar, the blood tears, it's a wonderful performance and will no doubt be incredibly difficult to top in the upcoming films. I cannot even begin to say how happy I am they kept Judi Dench onboard for this revival, they could have so easily recast this role but they brought her back and I can understand why, they needed some familiar face in the production to better gauge the change for audiences. And she is my M, she was the first M I ever saw and is still my favorite though Bernard Lee was grand throughout his tenure, so I'm just so thrilled it wasn't a 4 movie stint for her. I am not even able to discern which is better, the cast or just the total production value. This is the best looking film of the series, and I don't just mean because of the modern age filmmaking, the set design is nothing short of magnificent, the locations could not look better, the action is thrilling with a capital T, I can forgive entirely the lack of gadgets because of how well done these action beats are. You think I would find it inexcusable that we don't have any gadgets, that John Cleese did not get to return as our Quartermaster (which still breaks my heart to this day because he had unconditional love and respect for the part), but I can understand why they wanted to take a very realistic approach and it obviously payed off in aces. It's not even a question in my mind that this is top 10 material, it gets nothing but 4 stars, 8.5/10. This could be someone's jumping on point for the series before they get to something spectacular like The Spy Who Loved Me or more espionage antics like From Russia With Love, so I do believe it deserves the praise and recognition. Will the trend continue? Only one way to find out as we look at Quantum Of Solace tomorrow.

Knives Out

Well Rian I sorta liked it.

Now as just an entertaining little mystery movie I think this film does a good job, I don't think it's trying to be this great crime movie and just wants to be entertaining for 2 hours. And I can safely say I was very much entertained, I had a great time with this movie! The star power worked though even I was shocked how little time anyone got besides Ana de Armas and Daniel Craig, but they all have their individual moments to shine. I felt the mystery aspect was very involved and while you don't exactly need a pen and paper for it, it did take me awhile to learn names but that's because I forget things easily. It's your standard mystery fare, somebody finds the body of a very rich man in his mansion soon after a party, which soon leads to everyone becoming a suspect and a renowned detective tries to crack the case. This is very much a tribute to the movie Clue, which if you've read my review on it is one of my favorite movies but it by no means is a rehash of it, it does it's own thing and in it's own style which works very well. Rian both wrote and directed this movie, and I'll be honest I was totally running with everything and throwing my own theories and statements out which shows that he knows how to do engaging and interesting stories but there was one part....it was the smallest thing but it was the dumbest thing I've seen in a movie for a long time. Trust me, you'll know it when you see it and it made me utter one of my personal favorite quotes, "There's suspension of disbelief and then there's insulting my f***ing intelligence.". Yeah. I just, hwhat the french toast? But beyond that major/minor point, it was a good movie! I'm not sure what accent I like Daniel Craig doing more, the one in Knives Out or Logan Lucky, but he was easily my favorite character. Though Ana de Armas was incredibly likable and great too, very much the normal person in this cast of eccentrics. It's definitely worth a rental, the overall construction of plot works and not just with the reveals, it's a movie that encourages audience interaction, has good production and actors, and is worth your time to see if you can guess who did it. To be perfectly frank, I called the ending and yet still was a bit surprised. Now that's how you do it! 3 stars, 7.5/10, and I will see you tomorrow.

Logan Lucky

Now that there's what I call a good movie.

I've never seen a movie quite like Logan Lucky. Take the southern characteristics of Steel Magnolias and add crime elements to a movie, and by God they made something good! So the story follows a construction worker played by a pretty nonchalant Channing Tatum (no pants ripping here ladies!) who after getting laid off decides to steal all the cash from Charlotte Motor Speedway's vault with the help of his brother played by Adam Driver who I swear nails that southern drawl thing on the head to perfection, and a convict played to absurdly hilarious degree by Daniel Craig. And yes, I have no issues saying the only real reason I saw this was to Hear Daniel Craig talk like he was from fricking West Virginia. My God. It is glorious. And Channing Tatum has a daughter in this.....dear sweet baby Jesus I need to adopt a flippin' today alright? Perfection exists and it's name is Farrah Mackenzie! I just loved how the movie played out, you understand why this guy is robbing money, and by noooo means is he a selfish guy. There are movies about the good guys, the bad guys, and even good guys doing bad things, and this movie hits the sweet spot with the last example. I daresay to go see the movie for the characters and that whole sort of, southern, small town, ordinary folk, simple talking people who get right to the point by rattling on and on. It does scream home to me for a boy who grew up and lived in East Texas. It's a real good movie to say the least, and well worth the price of admission. Give it a shot and see if you liked it just as much as I did! Which by the way was an awful lot.

I'm debating on reviewing The Hitman's Bodyguard Sunday, and I think I might since after Sunday I'm taking about two weeks off. So stay tuned until then.