My New Year's Resolution (Ideas & Thoughts)

It's almost the New Year and I haven't posted anything.  Where the heck have I been!?

I've been planning (among many other aspects of life keeping me busy), planning one of my New Year's resolutions.

For the Film Reviewer Jr. my resolution is to put all my efforts into thoroughly reviewing the best and brightest films the 2010s decade has brought. 

In almost one year, a new decade will be upon us.  The 2010s has been extremely important to me, one of the reasons being the birth of my love and appreciation for film, as well as the birth of Film Reviewer Jr.  I feel compelled to give back to the decade by examining all its great films I missed out on reviewing.  Given my post-release track record, it's an overly ambitious goal, but one I've given time to plan out and hopefully complete by the end of 2019.

As such, 2019 will be primarily focused on reviewing what I consider the great films of the decade.  This means my focus will be away from 2019's cinema save for a few noteworthy exceptions such as the MCU films, Detective Pikachu, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, etc.  Aside from those outliers and any exceptional 2019 releases, I'll mostly be focused on the past years this decade's cinema had to offer.

Anyway, that's my New Year's resolution for the blog, now let's see if I can fulfill it or if it'll end up like most people's resolutions.

Happy New Year!

Ralph Breaks the Internet (Film Review)

No, there are no porn references in Ralph Breaks the Internet.  And no, I do not care for the film either.

A Complete Analysis of Wreck-It Ralph Part 4 (FINALE): Going Beyond Mere Cameos and References (Film Analysis)

LINK TO PART 3:

A Complete Analysis of Wreck-It Ralph Part 3: Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Super Smash Bros, and Licensed Cameos (Film Analysis)

LINK TO PART 2:

A Complete Analysis of Wreck-It Ralph Part 2: World Building, Level Design, and Strange Thematic Shifts (Film Analysis)

LINK TO PART 1:

A Complete Analysis of Wreck-It Ralph Part 1: The Hypest Trailer (Film Analysis)

On June 6^th, 2012, Disney released its first trailer for Wreck-It Ralph—an upcoming animated feature about a sentient arcade game character who wants to be more than his designated role.  Sounded like the standard Disney story, and it looked that way too…that is until the above scene appeared in the trailer.

Bao (A "Short" Review)

Director(s): Domee Shi

Date Released: 2018

Theatrically Released Alongside: The Incredibles 2

Bao is an interesting short story about a lonely woman whose cooked bao dumpling comes to life.  The woman raises the dumpling as it grows from a jolly child to a moody teenager to an ungrateful adult.  It turns out the situation is all an allegory for the woman’s actual son, who returns home to “apologize” and make amends with his mother.

The House with a Clock in Its Walls (Quick Review)

When there’s a family film focusing on a kid or kids, nine out of ten times the kid(s) will not be its selling point.  Sometimes it’s the premise, other times it’s the adult actors starring alongside the kids, and occasionally it’s both.  The House with a Clock in Its Walls is among the middle group.  Jack Black and Cate Blanchett—both endearing actors to me, yet not until now did I realize how much I wanted them together in the same film.

First Man (Quick Review)

To sum the film up: space scenes are cool, personal life scenes not so much.

Carol Revisited: Cinematography, Soundtrack, and Gay Friends (Film Analysis)

I was a bit harsh on Carol back when I first reviewed it.  Keywords being a bit.

Halloween: 2018 (Film Review)

2018’s Halloween is an oddity among the slew of 2010s’ sequels and reboots.  It’s a direct sequel to the original 1978 Halloween, wiping all previous sequels from the continuity as well as ignoring the Rob Zombie remakes.  This makes 2018’s Halloween the franchise’s second soft reboot (after Halloween H20), third direct sequel to one of its first installments, and third film to be titled Halloween.  Unique and rather strange to this film, however, is it’s the first direct sequel to share its predecessor’s title—done obviously for marketing purposes (easier to market the film as a standalone feature than a sequel to another film made forty years ago) while making it a pain to write about.  As such, I will be referring to the newest Halloween as 2018 from this point onward.

My Hero Academia: Two Heroes (Film Review)

My Hero Academia.  The Japanese superhero manga created by Kōhei Horikoshi.  This isn’t the first time I’ve talked about My Hero Academia on my blog.  I referred to it in my The Last Jedi review, comparing the two favorably in their villains’s development.  Yet here I get to make a direct post about the series, or more accurately, about its first feature-length film My Hero Academia: Two Heroes.

The Nun (Film Review)

One of the stark differences between the main Conjuring films and its spin-off titles (which, up until now, were solely Annabelle stories) is their approach towards the demonic and supernatural.  

5 Reasons to Love the 90s Video Game Film Adaptations

The 1990s was the first decade to bring video games to the big screen, and it failed spectacularly.

Now hold up!  I thought this is about the reasons why I should love the 90s video game films?

Patience, I’m getting there.

There were a total of six video game film adaptations released theatrically throughout May of 1993 to March of 1999: Super Mario Bros, Double Dragon, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, and Wing Commander.  Not only were all six films panned by critics, but three of the six ended up being box office bombs.  Fan reactions to the films were polarizing, to say the least.  Mortal Kombat received praise for keeping close to its series storyline and action yet received flak for watering down the iconic gory fatalities.  On the other hand, Super Mario Bros. was near-universally bashed for forgoing its series roots for an entirely different, bizarre experience that bears little resemblance to its source material.

Some shared faults between the films’s creations were uncertainty and half-assed efforts.  Directors were unsure of what they were making and/or who their target audience was, and actors were even more confused about what they had gotten themselves into.  Half the films were cheap cash-ins on the rising video game craze, while the other half were lazy attempts at fanservice.  Even getting the series creator of Wing Commander to direct its film adaptation ended up being a horrible decision—resulting in a generic mess of space clichés, fresh to video games yet old and worn to the cinema.

Wing Commander, however, is the black sheep of the 90s video game adaptations.  The film is everything the other 90s video game adaptations aren’t—a generic, bland trope-fest that’s competently made.  Yeah, Wing Commander is actually a decently-structured story, and here, that’s a bad thing.  For what the other five 90s adaptations share in common are how bizarrely their stories are put together, and how fascinating the results end up.  Yet that’s not all these five features share in common.  They’re comical—whether intentional or not—they each have an actor who gave way more than needed, their villains are memorable, and they are all endearingly cheesy.  No, not all of them are well-made films (some I give a thumbs down to), but flaws withstanding, there are reasons to appreciate and yes, love these five misshapen, misguided attempts at adapting video games into films.

Searching (Film Review)

Searching utilizes a variant of the found footage subgenre popularized by the 2014 film Unfriended.  The film is told entirely from the viewpoint of computer screens, smartphones, news footage, and hidden cameras.  The filming style is used to tell the story of a father searching for his missing daughter with the help of his APPLE MAC computer.  With the APPLE MAC’s NORTON ANTIVIRUS protection active, the father looks for clues to his daughter’s whereabouts using GOOGLE MAPS, FACEBOOK, TUMBLR, YOUTUBE, VENMO, and REDDIT among other websites and services.

Searching’s barebones concept sounds like an internet marketer’s wet dream.  What better way to advertise then have your various product placements be the solution for a father trying to find and/or save his daughter’s life?  Show off your products under the guise of storytelling—oh, what a devilish plan!  There’s no shame in taking one look at Searching’s trailers and believing the film to be a gimmicky advertising scheme.

And you’d be right, but also oh, so very wrong.

Alpha (Film Review)

If you’ve seen the trailers for Alpha, then you know exactly what to expect from the film.

The Meg (Quick Review)

Shark films are definitely one of my popcorn pleasures.

Video Game Film Reviews Directory:

Video Game Film Adaptations:
(Click on Picture to be Directed to Review)

The Happytime Murders (Quick Review)

The Happytime Murders is a hodgepodge of different stories.  It’s a P.I. film noir, with a buddy-cop adventure, combined with an adult satire of The Muppets and Sesame Street (think Avenue Q but with more straightforward, crude humor), and a prejudice subplot thrown in.  Does the film work?  Yeah, but not to the extent the trailers built it up.

Wing Commander (Film Review)

Director(s): Chris Roberts

Release Date: March 12, 1999

Wing Commander.  Last of the 1990s video game film adaptations.  Unlike the previous adaptations, I knew absolutely nothing about Wing Commander’s video game series.  I didn’t even know it was a video game series until learning about this film.  While there’s nothing wrong going into an adaptation blind (though with adaptations like Mortal Kombat, its best to know the source material) I decided to read up on the series and watch some informative let's plays.  From what I collected, the video game series (at least the early 90s ones) looks really fun and impressive—with clear effort and passion put behind it.  When learning that Wing Commander’s creator also directed its film adaptation, I grew hopeful for a positive experience, followed by my hopes crashing and burning up after seeing the finished product.

Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (Film Review)

Director(s): John R. Leonetti

Release Date: November 21, 1997

The 1990s video game film adaptations had a habit of ending in a similar way.  The good guys save the day and everything is at peace, yet a looming threat threatens to disrupt such harmony on their next adventure.  Super Mario Bros, Double Dragon, and Street Fighter all end this way, setting up for a theatrical sequel that would never see the light of day.  Mortal Kombat follows the same trend, ending with its victorious protagonists preparing (aka posing) for a sudden new threat.

The only difference here is Mortal Kombat got its sequel.

Christopher Robin (Quick Review)

Deep in the Hundred Acre Woods, where Pennywise the Clown plays.

Seriously, who didn’t think that when Winnie the Pooh walked through a misty forest with a red balloon?

Mortal Kombat (Film Review)

Director(s): Paul W. S. Anderson
Date Released: August 18, 1995

The film’s CGI has not aged well at all.  Reptile looks especially bad in his creature form and…

…Oh, sorry, is me jumping into the thick of the review without a proper introduction confusing?  Because Mortal Kombat seems to believe that’s the most efficient way to start a film.

Here’s a video game film adaptation that is designed to appeal to the series’s fans, and only them because anyone new to the series will be thoroughly confused throughout.  It’s a film made for those wanting to see their favorite violent characters duke it out on the big screen with all sorts of game references—from the series's kickass theme to signature attacks to iconic phrases like “Flawless Victory” or “Get Over Here!”  Does it succeed at satisfying series fans?  Eh, somewhat.  With certain characters, the film delivers a satisfying recreation and screen time, while other characters get the short end of the stick.  Sometimes the action is fun and engaging, and other times its lackluster and bland.  It all depends on what a fan desires to see.  As a story driven film with characters and development, however, Mortal Kombat fails big time—arguably the messiest video game adaptation made at that point, and that’s including Super Mario Bros.

Street Fighter (Film Review)

Director(s): Steven E. de Souza
Date Released: December 23, 1994 (United States)

Street Fighter released a little over one month after Double Dragon’s poorly received debut.  Like Double Dragon, Street Fighter was most likely created as a cash in on the rising video game craze.  The films even share similarities as video game adaptations, such as both having a wise-cracking, martial arts duo—one of Asian descent and the other Caucasian (though, unlike Double Dragon, Street Fighter's ethnicities are more accurate to their video game counterparts).  Now, I’m not too familiar with Street Fighter’s video game lore, but from what little I do know it’s apparent Street Fighter the film doesn’t stay faithful to its source material aside from names thrown on similar—or not so similar—character designs.  It didn’t come as much surprise then to learn Street Fighter was poorly received by fans of the game, as well as being panned by critics just like Double Dragon and Super Mario Bros. before.

Yet unlike its adapted predecessors, Street Fighter did surprisingly well at the box office—raking in nearly three times its production cost.  This marked the first time a video game film adaptation made a box office profit, but why was that?  Was it because the then popular Jean-Claude Van Damme had a starring role?  Perhaps it was because the film’s action-adventure war setting appealed to a wider audience, as opposed to Double Dragon’s teen-focused angle or Super Mario Bros’ fantasy setting?  These possibilities may have played a part in Street Fighter’s profits, but I like to believe there was another reason for its commercial success—one critics missed and fans were blinded to notice.

Street Fighter is a whole lotta campy fun.

Ant-Man and the Wasp (Film Review)

It has been a roller-coaster lately with the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).  It went up with Thor: Ragnarok, down with Black Panther, up again with Avengers: Infinity War, and now back down with Ant-Man and the Wasp.

The Double Standard of Blockers (Ideas & Thoughts)

I enjoy the film Blockers—succeeding with its three hilariously entertaining adult leads—but it has a notable issue with double standards.  The issue doesn’t just stem within the film, however, but also with misdirected praise towards the film being “feminist”.  I’ve previously written a post on what defines a feminist film, and it stands to reason that Blockers is not one.  A feminist film is one that has a fair balance between male and female portrayals regarding quantity (the ratio of both genders casted), character (the way both genders are written and represented), role (the presentation of both genders in primary and secondary parts) and importance to plot (how much both genders matter to the storyline).  Blockers succeeds in two out of the four aspects, quantity and importance to plot.  Its gender ratio is fairly balanced between male and female characters who play significant roles within the story.

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (Quick Review)

The Hotel Transylvania series reminds me of the Madagascar series in that it’s steadily grown on me with each new film made. I had a lukewarm response to the first Hotel Transylvania, while Hotel Transylvania 2 improves upon its predecessor in all areas to be an unexpectedly enjoyable sequel.  Now comes Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation, quite possibly the series’s best film to date.  The film is the equivalent to a long Saturday Morning Cartoon—containing all the wacky antics, cartoon physics and idiot ball moments you’d expect, but in a good way.  The film isn’t trying to take itself seriously or be logical (the series never has), it’s just out to have a grand, silly time and entertain with a variety of fun hijinks and colorful, likable characters.

Blue is the Warmest Color Revisited: Is it Still Great? Are the Sex Scenes Still too Long? (Film Analysis)

Blue is the Warmest Color is certainly one of my more memorable trips to the movie theater.

Skyscraper (Quick Review)

Skyscraper is in many ways a hybrid imitation of the 1984 action thriller Die Hard and the 1974 action disaster The Towering Inferno.  It is also an inferior film to both its predecessors.  That said, Skyscraper is still a mildly enjoyable popcorn flick if you don’t expect anything more than what its trailers present.

Uncle Drew (Film Review)

If I had a list of 2018 films coming out ranked from “must see” all the way down to “least interested”, I don’t think Uncle Drew would have even made the list.  I had absolutely no interest in seeing Uncle Drew, that is until my film buff friend told me the film is awesome, is much, much better than it has any right to be, and highly recommends it.  I didn’t believe him, but I decided to give the film a shot.  Ten minutes in and I was immediately regretting my decision.  The characters felt stock and/or were complete assholes, the plot felt unoriginal and the comedy was nonexistent.  It had me preparing for the worst, but then Uncle Drew shows up.

The Incredibles 2 (Film Review)

………….Sigh.

No, I didn’t dislike The Incredibles 2.  The Incredibles 2 is a good film with beautiful animation, solid voice acting, and is a fun superhero film for all ages.

But man, is it a disappointing sequel!

The Kids Are All Right or: How I Learned to Stop Hating and Love the Film (Film Analysis)

2010 was a significant transitional period for me.  It was the year I graduated from high school and left home for my freshman year of college.  It was also the year where my interest in film truly blossomed, thanks largely to my good friend and fellow film buff Prerit.  Throughout 2010’s summer, Prerit introduced me to a whole new world of films I had never seen nor heard of before.  Noteworthy films include 2001: A Space Odyssey and Raging Bull—films I initially found offputting yet overtime (in addition to multiple viewings) would come to consider two of my favorites.  That’s not all Prerit did, however, as not only did he expand my knowledge of films from the past, but also of films currently showing.

Deadpool 2: The R-Rated Review (Film Review)

Ah, Deadpool 2.  Two.  The second.  Número dos.  Who could have foreseen a popular, financially successful superh̶e̶r̶o̶ film receiving a sequel?  Clearly, it was made for artistic intentions only and not because the first made a shit-ton of money and the producers were hoping for another cash cow.  Well, maybe it should have been called Deadpool Moo because the sequel has made dough at the box office, further solidifying the successful market for R-rated superh̶e̶r̶o̶ films.

Tag (Quick Review)

Tag has a premise so completely ridiculous—five friends (played by Ed Helms, Jeremy Renner, Jon Hamm, Jake Johnson, and Hannibal Buress) that have continued a game of tag for over thirty years—it’s bound to provide entertainment.  And so Tag does, though not to the extent I was hoping for.  I absolutely hate when I must type such statement in a review; “____ is good, but not as good as it could have been”.  I want a film to be fully realized and I want to praise it for such accomplishment—but sadly, films often fall short of what they could have been.  Here, Tag suffers from two aspects: energy and focus.  

Micro Review #27: The Cloverfield Paradox & Open House (Micro Reviews)

The Cloverfield Paradox:

Solo: A Star Wars Story (Film Review)

I have one standout issue with Solo: A Star Wars Story: Alden Ehrenreich does not make a convincing Han Solo.

Adrift (Quick Review)

It’s great to once again watch and review a good Shailene Woodley film.  The actress possesses remarkable talent, yet since late 2014 has been tangled in a web of bad films (mostly Divergent sequels) where such talent is stifled by shoddy scripts and stories.  Adrift breaks free from the web, giving Woodley her first good film in nearly four years.

Avengers: Infinity War (Film Review)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe astounds me.

The Bill Murray Experience (Link Review)

Another VOD review I did for The Nerd Mentality.


THE BILL MURRAY EXPERIENCE (link to the review)

Micro Reviews #26: Blockers & I Feel Pretty (Micro Reviews)

Blockers:

Black Panther (Film Review)

What a disappointment.

Who's Jenna? (Link Review)

Here's a VOD review I did for The Nerd Mentality.

WHO'S JENNA? (link to the review)

A Quiet Place (Film Review)

Shhh…be vewy quiet, they’re hunting humans.

The Buddy System (Film Review)

The Buddy System tells the intimate stories of three families touched by autism, who experience meaningful change when a specially trained assistance dog comes into each of their lives.

—The Buddy System Pamphlet

A Wrinkle in Time (Quick Review)

What a mess.

Double Dragon (Film Review)

Director(s): James Yukich
Date Released: November 4, 1994

So, what do you get when you take every 80s to early 90s film craze and cram them into a poorly made adaptation of a beat em’ up video game?

You get a film called Double Dragon.

Micro Reviews #25: Paul, Apostle of Christ & Peter Rabbit (Micro Reviews)

Paul, Apostle of Christ:

Steamed Hams but it's a List of the 22 Best Edits

Ah, Film Reviewer Jr. Readers.  Welcome.  I hope you're prepared for an unforgettable April Fools post.

Super Mario Bros. (Film Review)

Director(s): Rocky Morton & Annabel Jankel
Date Released: May 28, 1993

The Super Mario Bros. film…isn’t that bad.

2017 in Review: Interracial Relationships, Child Actors, Down-to-Earth Performances and Superior Sequels (Ideas & Thoughts)

What do interracial relationships, child actors, down-to-Earth performances, and superior sequels have in common?  They all appeared prominently throughout 2017.

Annihilation (Quick Review)

Annihilation is a bizarre blend of surreal, existential examination of life and a survival horror popcorn-flick.  The film’s premise is typical of its genre: a group of stock characters are sent on a dangerous mission and are gradually taken out by beasts and mutations until it’s down to a sole survivor.  Yet the film’s straightforward plot is mixed in with an eerily unsettling, horrific even, yet captivating exploration towards evolution.  Annihilation is far from what I consider an avant-garde film, yet too unorthodox to be a conventional survival-horror.

Game Night (Film Review)

Game Night encompasses the positives of its title’s premise: it’s a lot of fun, there’s plenty of laughs, and its full of good friends bonding together.  The big difference between a typical game night and here is the film ups the gaming challenge to a whole new level.  Max (Jason Bateman) and Annie (Rachel McAdams) are a match made for each other.  Both are overzealous enthusiasts for all forms of competitive gaming.  The pair met at a trivia game night—simultaneously answering Tinky Winky to the question “Who is the purple Teletubby?”—and immediately fell in love.  The couple love hosting game nights, inviting over fellow couple Kevin (Lamorne Morris) and Michelle (Kylie Bunbury) as well as their friend Ryan (Billy Magnussen) and any date he brings along.  Max’s competitive mentality, however, has caused issues with his sperm count, making his and Annie’s tries for a baby in vain.  Their doctor theorizes the cause of such competitive stress may stem from Max’s more successful brother Brooks (Kyle Chandler)—a guy who gives backhanded comments and has always beaten Max at games.

Honeycrisp (Link Review)

Here's another VOD review I did for The Nerd Mentality.

HONEYCRISP (link to the review)