Barbie

I'll be damned, it was just the remedy I needed!

After such a well, depressing end for Oppenheimer I was amazed at how Barbie was able to pull me out of this existential crisis by presenting an existential crisis on the screen. I am not telling you a thing about this plot, no way, I would be robbing you like taking candy away from a baby. The best way I can describe it is it takes bits of Toy Story 3, The Lego Movie, adds an awful lot of reality and a good dose of satire, and is precisely NOTHING like the movie you would expect. It keeps changing tracks, flipping and twisting ideas that would be incredibly predictable and cliche and makes something new. It is easily one of the most intelligent, introspective, and funny movies not of this year but just that I've ever seen in my time. It almost made me cry once with a scene right out of Pixar's Soul and then it absolutely made me shed a single tear at the end. Good God almighty no wonder the trailer barely shows anything cause how do you sell this movie? Cause on the surface there's a lot of poking at the patriarchy, how Barbieland functions, the identities of our characters but then....if you give just a little bit of thought to it you plunge deep under the surface and I mean deeeeep. Margot Robbie can you do no wrong? Flawless, heartfelt, a ray of hope and sunshine in my life. Ryan Gosling, man I'm almost jealous of you getting this part because what a wild ride it is this journey for Ken and even when he's kinda being an ass you can tell he's far from doing it intentionally which just makes it funny. This movie revels in the lavishly ludicrous and yet touches on life, identity, and changes in the most simplistic yet enlightened way. I'm not saying it's a film entirely for adults much akin to Soul, kids can watch and enjoy it but I feel we're more talking a teenage to adult range. It really just had no right being as good as it is, and I know people will howl "woke" (like it frigging means anything) but I did not find it pandering, insincere, or pushing for something. It kinda just lays it out like it is in reality without shouting for extremist change. I loved it, I thought it was amazing, buuuut do I give it a 10/10? Ohhh I don't know, I feel I need to watch it again and yeah we're gonna do a round two of this Barbinheimer phenomenon. So for now a 9/10, 4 golden stars, and two thumbs way way up! We shall see who truly wins this battle of wills and wits, and remember my friends future events such as these will affect you in the future.

In Retrospect: The Suicide Squad

King Shark is the king of my heart.

Yeah it was fun watching this again in all it's bloodsoaked, gruesome, humorous glory. And I feel I got more out of it the second go around, now that I know all the big stuff I can see the little details. I mean I praise the cast day and night, but dang Margot Robbie has a great little monologue that honestly says more about Harley than anything we've seen in live action. Daniela Melchior has stolen my heart and probably the internet's too, forever being my precious ray of sunshine in this film, she's absolute class 10/10! I do feel ashamed I wasn't party to Idris Elba's acting much before this because my man, my man, I love you my man. But dude James Gunn you are a bastard, you killed Savant who really struck me as a great character and one who I was quickly rooting for and Michael Rooker plays it perfectly. You did have the balls to drop Captain Boomerang and Rick Flagg, and you have my respect for shaking things up. But....how f***ing dare you kill Polka Dot Man. I am never getting over this, the shittin' Weasel lives but my guy dies? Because the second I heard we were getting Polka Dot Man I was ecstatic, and proves once more why David Dastmalchian keeps getting work at DC, because he rocks! And I knew, I frick fraking knew he wasn't gonna make it too, when I saw in the trailer of him triumphantly shouting with joy "I'm a superhero!" I was like well he's about to get shot in the head right after saying that. Asshole. I'm not actually mad at James for doing that, if anything I highly applaud the team here for getting me to care so much about these characters to begin with. I cared enough for the first Squad with Deadshot and all them, and appreciate both films for taking the time out to have emotional moments with these characters period. I dig the style and tone the movie has going for it, almost edging towards Tarantino tribute to 70s cinema but with it's own unique flair to it. I'd still say it's a great movie and clearly has the rewatchability factor to own. So the verdict still stands, 4 stars, 8.5/10. It's never a bad day when you watch a DC movie....except for The Killing Joke. Worthless bitch. And on that joyous remark it is time to end, and pray for me. I beg of you.

The Suicide Squad

Better than The Dark Knight? No. Damn good movie? Yes.

It's probably the most light hearted romp with a hard R rating I've ever seen in my life, juxtapositioning gnarly brutal gore and violence with light comedy and fun characters. The story follows two teams of Task Force X as they are sent to the known DC locale of Corto Maltese to investigate and shut down a government operation known as Starfish as the body count rises and we get to see good adaptations of DC characters both returning and new. Now I still stand by my review of the 2016 original, I still like it, I felt the studio should have kept it's big noses out of a director's work, but it is a movie I enjoy and would call good so this is not devolving to a, well clearly the new Suicide Squad movie is better than that trash. F*** yourself! They're two different movies and both are fine. Granted this one feels strangely a lot similar to the first movie and yet so different. It's heavily stylized, the camera work is more intricate, the blood factor is almost comical in it's excess, and each character gets a good smidge of backstory and personality. It could easily be seen as it's own thing but there's lots to connect it to the first which I like. While I couldn't bash the casting of the original hard, this one is mighty spot on giving the actors to make the character their own and not just feel like they are playing a character in a tight box. Margot Robbie is still royalty, Idris Elba is and has been the man, Daniela Melchior is my moon and stars in this movie, David Dastmalchian is mighty good but I still lean heavily towards his Calendar Man performance, and Sylvester Stallone as King Shark easily was the best character of them all. Yes even above Harley, he's that good, I said it. But even the side characters like Viola Davis, Peter Capaldi, and Michael Rooker were all great. The story is linear and might not make much sense when you break it down but I can truly see this as a movie people will watch again and again. The effects I felt were really good, maybe not enough practical gore but that's a small gripe, King Shark and Starro look good and have spot on textures plus they just have fun with it. I also feel the comedy was balanced, it could have a serious moment, it could have action without a comedy beat, this movie flat out says f*** your feelings they'll kill anyone without hesitation, and I know there will be some jackass chucklehead who will just say, oh it shows how bad the DC movies are that they have to take MCU directors to make their movies better, to which I reply with a quote from the movie "Eat a big bag of dicks." and f***ity bye. It's really good stuff, despite the fact they killed nearly every character I liked a lot so the verdict is .5/10. I'm just kidding, it upsets me but I'll get over. 4 stars, 8.5/10, this will be the last new movie for a bit but there's always stuff to talk about. Be good people.

The Wolf Of Wall Street

Don't do drugs kids.

This is a fascinating yet greatly fun movie to watch, and I'm genuinely surprised I haven't touched it yet. The first time I saw it a friend showed it to me in college and I could hardly believe what I was seeing. It was such an outrageous comedy but what I find infinitely more interesting is it's true. It chronicles the meteoric rise and fall of Jordan Belfort, a man who slowly works his way into Wall Street and completely loses his mind. It was the 80s after all so the excess was real, and the tales of copious amounts of sex, drugs, and sans rock and roll are nearly impossible to believe but if you were alive during that time and perhaps even in such a line of work no doubt you have tales to be told as well. It's odd thinking of this as a Scorsese film because of it's steep comedic material but he did a great job with this. Leo I feel really has only gotten better and more entertaining roles as time went on, and I'm very happy he really shed that romance stuff off and did tons more than just that. But I feel Jonah Hill was the star for me, and I can't even explain why he was just wonderfully cast and attributed good comedy. Friggin' Matthew McConaughey, I feel he was almost criminally underused but really I can never complain when he is in a movie, even if it is garbage. Of course I can't forget the presence of beauty that is Margot Robbie, hey girl, always happy to see her and not just because of the more obvious reason you filthy animal. But the film doesn't shy away from more intense stuff, I mean proper uncomfortable upsetting shit. I mean any time I see parents fight over kids, that's hard to watch. There's so much absurd and downright extraordinary stuff that happens yet it never loses that edge in reality and the downer of it all. It's a very good film, maybe not so much on a technical or storytelling aspect but through sheer entertainment, and I can respect that. I give it 4 stars, 8/10! This and next week will be short of reviews but we'll get back to normal I promise.

In Retrospect: Birds Of Prey

I might have even liked it more this time around.

Yeah I gave the titling some major good grief but I was expecting more of a origin story for the Birds Of Prey and that's what I got. Granted I think me along with everyone else wasn't entirely sure what to expect from this movie but I very much appreciated it's style, color, and revelry in the absurd. It's a comic book movie, it fricking knows it's a comic book movie, and has a ball with it. Yes it's silly to the point of insanity, yes it's not telling a grand story, yes it is not a great movie and I am 150% okay with that. This is the odd duck of the modern superhero movie craze, had it's own ideas and ran to the bank with them, didn't explode the box office opening week but still made over 185 million dollars in contrast to it's 85 million dollar budget, and came out at a weird time when people were slowly headed toward the major lockdown season of this year. It doesn't make it a box office failure or a bad movie, it just hit at an awkward period. If I didn't say this in my original review I'll say it here, this has massive potential to be a rental cult hit now. I did enjoy aspects of it more, I accepted it's absurd action scenes the first time around and still loved them just as much, the comedy still got me, the colors, choreography, and all aspects of the production are still great! I'm probably one of the few comic book fans where I don't care if they change stuff, I've seen too many interpretations of one character to be bothered if they do it a bit different. I've seen Batman be campy, or fun and very 90s, or dark and serious, or downright epic, so what do I care if Cassandra Cain isn't Batgirl? I'm happy to see Cassandra Cain in a new way. Why the f*** do you people think I love Gotham so much? They took creative liberties to unparalleled heights and pulled it off in spades, I'm happy and willing to see new ideas with classic characters. I didn't hate Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Huntress at all, but she really grew on me the second go around and I can't wait to see more of her! I hope to see Renee maybe become The Question now that she's an ex-cop/crimefighter. I dig what they did with Black Canary and am game to see her kick even more ludicrous amounts of ass. It's different, but not at all bad. I can see some people getting hung up on the tone, action scenes, and character changes which is fine, I know this movie isn't for everyone (R rating obviously duh) but I still want people to watch it and see if they come around to it. I can dig what they did with Suicide Squad, it ain't perfect, it ain't great, but it is good and I do like it and same goes for this. Birds Of Prey tried something different and fun and payed off incredibly well in my opinion, and here's to Gotham City Sirens. I'll be there opening day guaranteed. And if for nothing else give Margot Robbie some credit, she helped fund this movie and had a lot of love and faith in it, so you get a round of applause from me.

Uh, Blumhouse...do not make me regret this. Fantasy Island tomorrow.

Birds Of Prey (2020)

No, I'm not writing the whole title I mean can you even imagine the acronym for this movie?

I literally had no idea this movie was rated R until I was walking into the thing, it's true I don't give ratings attention much especially when it comes to comic book movies but I was kinda shocked. And I kinda felt bad about the mom who brought her 8 year old to see this, but live and learn. How was the movie? I really liked it, the title is a bit of a mislead, yes the Birds Of Prey are in it but it's more of a Harley Quinn movie with Birds Of Prey characters as the supporting cast. Now I have nothing against that at all, they handled the material quite well I believe and delivered a total popcorn flick of a comic book movie. I have great respect for that! Not every comic book movie has to be this big, grandiose, universal stakes epic it can just be a fun movie. And that's really how it was until about 11 years ago, and I have to admit I miss it. Just bring a timeless character to the big screen, Superman did it, Batman did it, Iron Man did it, the Sam Raimi Spider-Man movies did it, why so serious Hollywood? What's wrong with a story about Harley breaking up with the Joker and quickly finds that almost everyone in Gotham wants her dead including Black Mask, and soon teams up with Black Canary, Huntress, GCPD officer Renee Montoya, and very Jason Todd-esque pickpocket Cassandra Cain? Nothing! It's a good but basic story, with the new characters having their moments to not only shine but have vignettes about their backstories for new audiences, slightly absurd fight scenes (I swear Harley is a secret grandmaster of geometry), colorful visuals, and a good sense of humor. I enjoyed it a lot, and genuinely hope it does very well in theaters. I thought the characters were handled very well, they don't tell you every detail of their character but they don't need to, you get a quick sense of who they are and how they operate. Of course Margot Robbie is an absolute dream and reminds everyone why they fell in love with her performance in the first place, she just encompasses every Harley Quinn since her inception. I actually really like the fact they upped Montoya's age, from young detective at the GCPD to a more mature, weathered, and no nonsense detective with Rosie Perez really making the part her own. Huntress gets her original backstory so sorry Bruce X Selina shippers, and though I felt the acting was a bit distant and cold it kind of makes sense from a character standpoint so no points deducted from Mary. Black Canary is a friggin' ass kicker per usual and Jurnee Smollett-Bell does fine work. I found it interesting that they took Cassandra Cain, one of the most visually striking and fascinating iterations of Batgirl and made her a skilled pickpocket, I know they couldn't have done Selina Kyle at that age but the more I think about it, why not Catwoman? Selina has been a member of the group before and considering the item of interest for the movie is a diamond, that kind of fits her MO to steal it from Black Mask. Though of course not to bash Ella Jay Basco, I did enjoy her and like the weird mentor relationship thing going on with Harley. My boy Ewan McGregor is a wild ride in this movie and the movie gets a point just because of him! The movie hooked me from the Fleischer styled animated opening to end credits, it's a very fun movie, and I didn't get all uppity about the langauge too much because it's not animation and clearly not meant for kids. In fact I haven't seen this much face removal since Arkham City. I was kinda bummed out we didn't get Bud and Lou, but hey one hyena is better than no hyena's so I'll take what I can get. Final score, 4 stars, 7.5/10, definitely a thumbs up from me! Will say I'm looking forward to what comes next for our dear Harley and hope she makes it in the next Suicide Squad movie because I still stand by my opinion, it's a good movie. Seriously what the hell is with the hate? Did I miss a memo? Did the movie touch you in a bad place? It's fine, it's not great but it ain't bad either! I'm out, see you next week.

In Retrospect: Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

I ain't gonna be mad if this wins Best Picture.

I'm just so happy to watch this movie again. It's a love letter to the late 60s but it really does go beyond that. I know Quentin Tarantino is a huge fan of old Hollywood and very nostalgic of filmmaking during that era between the 60s and 70s, and he captured the essence of it brilliantly. I actually was a bit surprised to read this was Leo's first film in 4 years time after he finally got his Oscar, and while I haven't seen The Revenant this is gonna be a hard performance to top for me. There's been stories about aging movie starts who are a bit washed up but I like the fact it's not the main focus of the picture, but when it has scenes dedicated to it they pull it off flawlessly. I still say the best scene in the whole film is when Rick talks to his young co-star, I can't fully explain it though. The age of both these actors (in the world of the film that is), and just the interactions they share are a true highlight for me and the writing quickly gets to the core of both these people. And you better believe I am here for this bromance with Brad Pitt, when the movie itself flat out says he's kind of Leo's wife I buy it, I love it, Cliff is a complete badass dude and every scene he has is memorable. Margot Robbie is still a total sweetie and I am riding that hype train mercilessly for Birds Of Prey (PS. Tune in for that next week.)! I love the atmosphere it has in California, I love the complete throwback in every concievable way possible of the production and cinematography,and I didn't catch many of the other Tarantino film references until this viewing. I challenge one asshole out there to say they didn't like the ending of this movie, you gotta be one heartless sum'bitch to complain about the ending. I kinda want to talk about it so if you're not game for it, 4 stars, 8.5/10, go rent it immediately and have a blast. Now let us begin. I'm gonna be strictly honest with everyone, I did not and still do not know much about the Manson family murders, I might have watched a Biography channel documentary on it in like 2007 but I don't remember much. I was game to see the movie from the start but had no idea the route it was going to take, I had no idea we were going to see a Hollywood ending of this gruesome and horrifying case. It goes the way you really and truly wish those events did, and it is a happy ending but it breaks my heart regardless that such a thing occured in 1969. These dirty hippie bastards get all kimds of f***ed up and it is glorious! *Disclaimer: I actually have fondness for the hippie generation and this is all for laughs* Though personally I've never heard a more nut aching, blood curdling, shrieking cacophony of screams in the history of my life. I mean sweet baby Yoda lady, damn! But I understand the meaning behind it all, the movie is very much about death, Rick's career is slowly going out, the 1960s are rapidly coming to an end, someone attempted to murder a group of young people one of whom was seriously pregnant, and in fact there was a certain quote that really hit that home for me. I can't remember the exact quote but it essentially said the Manson murders was the death of the flower child hippie generation and movement. It didn't really persist into the 1970s, and I think Hunter S. Thompson said it best, "San Francisco in the middle 60s was a very special time and place to be a part of, but no explanation, no mix of word or music or memory can touch that sense of knowing that you were there and alive in that corner of time in the world. Whatever it meant.....We had all the momentum, we were riding the crest of a high and beautiful wave. So now, less than five years later you can go up on a steep hill in Las Vegas and look west, and with the right kind of eyes you can almost see the high water mark, that place where the wave finally broke and rolled back.". And that I think was the handle. It's kind of a bittersweet movie the more you think about it. I believe the ending right before the film truly ends, was nothing less than a tribute to Adam West as Batman even though the 60s TV show was over and done by the time this movie started, it's the last voice you hear and it's a last hurrah of this time capsule we can all own a piece of. Just press play. I sincerely hope it gathers more acclaim and awards as time goes on, so don't fail me again Academy.

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

I'm happy this was the movie to come back on.

I had a great opportunity to see the movie on legit 35mm film, and it did nothing but add more to the movie. Set in the late 60s, our story follows a film actor and his stunt double, played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt respectively, going about their daily lives in Los Angeles while we also briefly follow stars Roman Palinski and Sharon Tate. It's kind of a hard movie to describe, it's very slice of life set in a time capsule of 1968, so nothing major happens plot wise until near the end. It's very much a movie you can watch with friends but you better have some time on your hands. This movie pushes 3 hours but never does it drag or feel dull, I was fully enjoying the film all the way through and enjoying the style and scenery. The cast I felt was really damn good, Leonardo DiCaprio plays an aging movie star pretty much pitch perfect, you can keep your Titanic and Romeo & Juliet DiCaprio, I prefer him more like this. Brad Pitt and him have excellent screen chemistry, you can really tell they are friends and get along, plus I just love how Brad looks in this film. He fits that gruff cool stuntman from the early 70s look, I mean he just melds into this part. Margot Robbie though not having a major part in the film has some nice moments and well if you know the real life story of actress Sharon Tate you really don't want to see anything bad happen to her. But my absolute favorite is Julia Butters who plays a bit part on Leo's show, like they really have some great scenes together and I absolutely loved her performance. I don't even know why she just did that good a job, she plays a child actor wiser beyond her years and is just excellent! And I'm a sucker for the 60s I can't help it, and the cinematography even with film grain and scratches looks great! The colors still pop, it's not hazy or out of focus, it just immerses you further into the movie. The best way I can sum up the movie is, it's a Tarantino movie. And if you've liked the 9 movies he made before this, then no doubt you'll enjoy this one too, and even if you haven't I still recommend it. It's worth the time and you'll find something you enjoy in it, whether it be actors, the time period, music, visuals, no doubt you'll dig the ending. I mean damn, I wish the ending was the true ending. But nevertheless, 3.5 stars check it out! And I will be back next week with more.

I, Tonya

You know, I have no idea why I wanted to see this, let alone review it.

I saw the trailer and I didn't care enough. I don't know a damn thing about Tonya Harding, so what got me here? I can't explain it, but to put it simply this is the movie I needed to see today. Above every other film I own or film I would have loved to talk about, I needed this movie. And yeah, it was a pretty friggin' good movie! Though I hate sport movies, and I hate biography movies even more...I, Tonya really caught my attention and held it until the end. I mean, Margot Robbie is worth seeing all the time and I loved her in this movie and truthfully she made this movie for me. The movie follows Tonya from her early age on the ice rink all the way until the end of the court case against her, and if the events are fully true like the movie I kinda gotta laugh. Not so much about the life of Tonya, honestly it sucked and I'm going to be straight up, after the knife throw....momma would have to disappear. Just saying. But the whole incident is so ridiculous it is downright hilarious, because it just spins off of an already ludicrous plan and it gets stupid crazy. But the actors sell it and they all did great work, and major props to Margot Robbie for getting out on that ice and skating you did good girl! So who is this movie for? Tonya Harding fans? People who want a bit of history about a big news event back in the day? I have no idea but it is a good movie, and quite possibly has the most interesting and unique shot I have seen in a movie for a long time. It's a long take but done in an interesting and memorable way. Plus all the non-diegetic dialogue brought some good humor to the film, which I always appreciate. An interesting and odd choice for a review but it held some good surprises for me and was just what I needed. One more movie, so let's keep up the weird!

Suicide Squad

Damn...good...movie.

Not the most awesome, badass comic book movie ever but damn good. I saw the movie for free and I feel bad about it, I have to see this movie again and pay for it. Suicide Squad is a really good comic book movie following Task Force X or the Suicide Squad being assembled and put to their first mission. Really good story I must say with lots to keep your attention and entertain you but once again, the characters seal this film. Every single last one of them is perfect in their roles, but major love goes to Margot Robbie and Jared Leto. Terrific Harley Quinn and an unpredictable Joker! I have to say their relationship is super loving in this movie and I am in full force behind it, I always enjoy the notion that Harley and her puddin' have a lovely relationship so major points to that. Christ if I talked about all the characters in turn we would be here all night, there is so much to say about each of these individuals and all of it is good. And a surprising element and to me the best scene in the entire movie is the bar scene, where all of these people get real, hard character development and rises an almost philosophical point that I applaud the film for. This movie does not screw around, the action is good, the humor while most of it was in the trailers is still very funny, the soundtrack is...stellar to the point where I must own them all, the acting is great, the characters are fun and interesting, I do recommend this movie. Quite a bit. I cannot wait to see this movie again, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Just a good time to be had while watching this, so let the good times roll!