Frozen II (Quick Review)

Frozen II is one of those strange examples where a lot of stuff occurs yet it feels like very little happens.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Film Review)

To quote Emperor Palpatine: Augghhhh!!!

Ford vs Ferrari (Film Review)

Ford vs Ferrari is a good film that's structure has been seen many times before.  It adheres closely to the Hollywood biographical drama formula just with a new setting of the titled auto manufacturing companies competing to win a car race.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 Revisited or: A Sequel that Succeeds on Multiple Levels and Exceeds the Original in Certain Areas (Film Analysis)

How to Train Your Dragon 2 was a very anticipated film for me back in the summer of 2014.  I went so far as to avoid all trailers and spoilers so as not to sully the experience, including avoiding looking at McDonald's cartons that had pictures of what Hiccup and friends looked like as young adults.  Sounds crazy, definitely kind of crazy, but that's just how hyped and determined I was to see this film with a fresh mind.  I had seen and loved the first film and watched both seasons of its TV series DreamWorks Dragons that had aired at the time.  This wasn't just a sequel to a previous film for me, but rather a continuation of a story I had become genuinely invested in.

Note: This is my second review of How to Train Your Dragon 2.  Here's my original review from 2015, written back when the film first released.

How to Train Your Dragon Part 2: How Visual and Sound Turn a Good Story into Something Amazing (Film Analysis)

LINK TO PART 1!!!

Using the knowledge gained from his time with Toothless, Hiccup succeeds in passively defeating and/or befriending the training dragons in fighting class.  Despite such successes gaining his peers’s praise (aside from Astrid, who grows jealous over Hiccup becoming the new star student), Hiccup is more preoccupied with getting Toothless back in the air again—for a more accurate lesson Hiccup was taught is that a downed dragon is a dead dragon.  Being the inventor that he is, Hiccups begins designing a tail flap to replace Toothless's missing scale.  Hiccup discovers, however, that the artificial wing will not remain open when Toothless flies alone.  As such, Hiccup builds a saddle for him to ride and help assist Toothless in flying.  The film’s excellent pacing is shown off here with a split montage of Hiccup building the flying device while training at classes.  I love how naturally the scenes move from Hiccup just trying to build an artificial scale for Toothless to saddling up to fly with him.

How to Train Your Dragon Part 1: How Visual and Sound Turn a Good Story into Something Amazing (Film Analysis)

Take a story about a boy’s bond with his dog.  Turn the dog into a wild animal the boy needs to tame.  Turn the wild animal into a mystical species the boy’s family is at war with.  Make the family a tribe of Vikings, the species dragons, and the boy the mediator for the two groups to finally end their differences, and you got the core construct to How to Train Your Dragon.  

The Lion King: 2019 (GUEST Film Review)

Written by my special guest and close friend Joel Coppadge!

If you were a 90s kid, then The Lion King is what comes to mind when you think of great 90s Disney movies.  Not only is it apart of the Disney Renaissance, but it had something for everyone, both kids and adults.  Fantastic animation, great, catchy songs, and a compelling story that is still relevant to this day.

Joker (Film Review)

Despite being set in a superhero universe focused on one of the most iconic supervillains of all time, Joker departs extensively from its genre’s usual constructs.  It overtakes The Dark Knight Trilogy as the most grounded film set in the Batman universe.  There’s no magic, special abilities, herculean feats of strength, advanced technology, over-the-top schemes, or anything unrealistic that has become engrained within the superhero genre.  Joker has little need for suspension of disbelief and is so set in reality that I, at times, forgot I was even watching a Batman film—earnestly thinking Gotham City was New York City—only to be reminded when the Wayne family or Arkham were brought up.

The Blair Witch Project or: An Electrifying Achievement in Terror and Realism (Film Analysis)

In 1993, Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez began development on what would eventually be a low-budget horror film told entirely through handheld cameras from a first-person perspective.  The concept came from how both men found documentaries on the paranormal scarier than traditional horror films.  The end result was a sixty-thousand-dollar indie film called The Blair Witch Project.  The tiny film would end up grossing over two-hundred and forty-eight million dollars at the box office, a ratio of one dollar for every ten-thousand, nine-hundred, and thirty-one made.  The Blair Witch Project would end up in the Guinness Book of World Records for "top budget box office ratio" for a mainstream feature film, becoming one of the most financially successful, well-recognized, and influential indie films from the 20th century.  It spawned a sequel, a remake, multiple video games, books, comic books, and even a real documentary on the film’s production.  The film revived the found-footage genre as well as popularizing the idea of telling stories using the first-person perspective.

Zombieland: Double Tap (Film Review)

This is a treat.

The Dead Don't Die or: Jim Jarmusch Tackles the Zombie Genre (Film Analysis)

See, here's the problem.

Zombieland is Great (Film Analysis)

LINK TO PART 3: Zombieland is Wonderfully Surprising

Zombieland is Wonderfully Surprising (Film Analysis)

LINK TO PART 2: Zombieland is Hilarious

Zombieland is Hilarious (Film Analysis)

LINK TO PART 1: Zombieland is Influential

Zombieland is Influential (Film Analysis)

What if I told you that Zombieland is one of the key pieces that turned me into a film buff?

Only Lovers Left Alive Revisited or: A Mesmerizing Vampire Story Unlike Any Other (Film Analysis)

Being a vampire suCertainly isn't all fun and games.

Note: This is my second review of Only Lovers Left Alive.  Here's my original review from 2014, written back when the film first released.

G.B.F. or: One of the Most Incredibly Entertaining, Notably Progressive Films You've Never Seen (Film Analysis)

G.B.F. is one of the most incredibly entertaining, notably progressive films you've most likely never seen.

The King's Speech or: A By-the-Book Drama that Truly Works in its Traditional Approach (Film Analysis)

In 1925, King George V reigns over a quarter of the world's people.  It is a time of relative peace, yet drastically increasing tension.  The Great War has since concluded, yet an even greater war is closing in on the horizon.  The British Crown no longer has the same authority they once had before, yet they are still the United Kingdom's figurehead—a representation of that country's power and dignity.  In the older days, all Kings had to do to represent such aspects was to look respectable in uniform and not fall off their horse.  With the advancements and increase in radio broadcasting, however, royals are expected to, as King George V (Michael Gambon) puts it himself; "invade people's homes and ingratiate ourselves with them." a duty he humorously does not think very highly of; "This family's been reduced to those lowest, basest of all creatures. We've become actors."

Trust or: The Dangers of Modern Sexual Predators & the Double Standards within American Society (Film Analysis)

My opinions have vastly changed throughout the 2010s, with film being no exception.  There was a time where I consider Trust to be my favorite film of 2011, placing it right above the likes of Take Shelter, Drive, and The Tree of Life.  Those feelings have since changed, with Trust no longer standing above these films.  There was something about Trust that profoundly affected me during the beginning of the decade that, upon rewatching, has not been replicated nearing the end.  Yet while I no longer see Trust as the masterpiece of filmmaking I once considered it,  I do see it as a powerful film that explores how sexual predators work within our modern technological society, as well as an examination of the double standards found within American society.

The Ides of March or: A Cautionary Tale About The Corruption in All Politics (Film Analysis)

Politics is harsh.  Politics is corrupt.  Politics is cutthroat.

Una Noche or: An Escape Story so True to Life, Its Actors Followed Suit (Film Analysis)

Una Noche (aka one night) extensively explores the lifestyle that resides within Habana Cuba, the harsh and unfair difficulties such life presents to its locals, and the people that try to escape.  

Another Earth or: A Powerfully Bittersweet, Multi-layered Story All Bundled into a Low-Budget Sci-Fi (Film Analysis)

What would it be like to meet yourself?  What would you ask?  What if your other self was a more successful version, or perhaps one that has suffered far more than you?  What would you say?

Ex Machina Revisited or: The Modern Frankenstein (Film Analysis)

The complete title for Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel Frankenstein is Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus.  Both Prometheus and Frankenstein are cautionary tales of the unintentional consequences of the strive for scientific knowledge, as well as the overreaching of one’s position in life.  If Frankenstein is the modern Prometheus, then Ex Machina is the modern Frankenstein.

Jeff Who Lives at Home or: A Story Modest in Scope, yet Beautifully Successful in its Simplicity (Film Analysis)

Jeff Who Lives at Home is a short, small-budget indie film.  It has a modest, unassuming plot that can easily be overlooked within the swarm of high-stakes, epic blockbusters.  And yet, it is a film that is bursting with heart and surpasses many a multi-million dollar blockbuster.  Jeff (Jason Segel) is a thirty-year-old, unemployed stoner who, as the title suggests, still lives in his parent's house.  Jeff is a peculiar man; the film’s opening scene shows him voice recording his thoughts on the film Signs and its relation to fate and destiny:

The End of the Tour Revisited or: How Terrific Performances can Turn an Average Script into a Great Film (Film Analysis)

The End of the Tour has a deceptively simple plot.  A magazine journalist goes to interview a writer, has various discussions with him, and then leaves with his story.  The plot itself is nothing great, I'd even call it rather average overall.  It is neither revolutionary nor innovative in its approach and does nothing to shake up its medium’s narrative structure, unlike the writer’s own creation.  Yet The End of the Tour is a great film, and its greatness lies with its two lead actors.  Here is an extremely lowkey film featuring two incredibly down-to-earth, relatable performances with fantastic chemistry.

Spider-Man: Far From Home (Film Review)

LOOK OUT! HERE COME SOME MAJOR SPOILERS!!!

Dark Phoenix (GUEST Film Review)

For the first time ever on Film Reviewer Jr., I proudly present GUEST FILM REVIEW!!!  The part of the blog where a guest comes on board and writes a film review.

Introducing my special guest and close friend Joel Coppadge!

This is the End Revisited or: A Trifecta of Good Aspects that Make for a Great Comedy (Film Analysis)

Note: This is my second review of This is the End. Here's my original review from 2013, written back when the film first released.

There’s a simple story that comes with my first viewing of This is the End.  I went into the theaters in a particularly sour mood and came out with the biggest smile on my face.  A film that can get rid of a bad attitude is automatically a success, but This is the End goes a few steps above your typical Seth Rogan stoner film.  I originally referred to such elevation as a trifecta of good cast, comedy, and heart.  Revisiting the film, however, has given me better clarity as to This is the End’s true trifecta and why it so effectively resonates with me.

Iron Man 2: Is it Good? Is It Bad? Could It Be Both!? (Film Analysis)

Since the conception of Film Reviewer Jr. and my first review of a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) property, Iron Man 3, I’ve consistently stated my dislike for Iron Man 2.  For a while, it was the only MCU film I gave a thumbs down to, though such placement has since been joined by the likes of Ant-Man and the Wasp and Captain Marvel.  The thing is, the last time I saw Iron Man 2 was in theaters back in 2010.  That’s closing in on a decade, back when I was just getting into film.  My opinions have changed vastly since that time, look no further than my The Kids Are All Right retrospective.  As such, it stands to reason that Iron Man 2 deserves a second chance at redemption.  Is there a possibility I misjudged the film and it’s better than I remember, or is it still the subpar sequel to the MCU’s fantastic origin film?

Avengers: End Game (Film Review)

What can I say about the “finale” of an over twenty-part film series to an over decade-long franchise?  There’s a lot I have to say about End Game, and most of it has already been said by other reviewers.  Nonetheless, I figure I’ll give my own two cents on the film, yet with a slight twist to the usual formula.  Here are one-hundred thoughts, over the course of the summer, of the strengths, weaknesses, surprises, interactions, and nods to the comics I saw from by multiple viewings of Avengers: End Game.

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD:

1. The opening sequence featuring Hawkeye is a chillingly effective way to start Endgame, in addition to being a great way of bringing Hawkeye into the final film.

2. There’s so much Nebula greatness in Endgame.  I've never cared much for her character before, yet here she goes from zero to the film’s MVP when it comes to characterization.

3. The scene where Nebula and Tony are playing paper football is so charmingly adorable. Who would have guessed these two would have such surprisingly effective chemistry (I also love how Tony refers to her as the blue meanie and that she's only a “little sadistic”)?

4. I love the little extra touches where Nebula declines the extra oxygen so that Tony can have it, and when she caringly picks him up from the floor and into a chair during their seemingly last moments.  It really shows how far she's come from the sadistic killer she was in Guardians of the Galaxy.

5. Tony and Rocket’s humorous first interaction: 

• Rocket: Yeah, he's pissed. He thinks he failed. Which of course he did, but there's a lot of that's goin' around, ain't there? 
• Tony: Honestly, until this exact second, I thought you were a Build-A-Bear. 
• Rocket: Maybe I am.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (Film Review)

Okay so, my opinion on Pokémon Detective Pikachu times four.

Monsters or: A Poignant, Highly Underrated Character Journey, Cinematic Spectacle, and Gentle Allegory (Film Analysis)

Things are not what they appear.

How Godzilla Ascends From a Typical Monster Flick, Does Its King Justice, and Has One of the Decade’s Best Scenes (Film Analysis)

LINK TO PART 2: How Godzilla Squanders Potential in One of the Decade’s Most Disappointing Decisions

How Godzilla Squanders Potential in One of the Decade’s Most Disappointing Decisions (Film Analysis)

LINK TO PART 1: Godzilla's Amazing Trailer

Godzilla's Amazing Trailer (Film Analysis)

I want to talk to someone in charge. You're not fooling anybody when you say that what happened was a natural disaster. You’re lying! It wasn’t an earthquake, it wasn't a typhoon. Because what's really happening, is that you're hiding something out there. And it's gonna send us back to the Stone Age!

It’s February of 2014.  The first trailer for the upcoming American Godzilla reboot releases.  And it is amazing.

Pokémon Detective Pikachu (Film Review)

Alright people, let’s make this clear.  

A Complete Analysis of Iron Man Finale: I Am Iron Man (Film Analysis)

LINK TO PART 7: Tony's Subtle Transformation from Grandiose Narcissist to Communal Narcissist

A Complete Analysis of Iron Man Part 7: Tony's Subtle Transformation from Grandiose Narcissist to Communal Narcissist (Film Analysis)

LINK TO PART 6: The Wonderful Benefits of Showcasing Tony's Creative Process

A Complete Analysis of Iron Man Part 6: The Wonderful Benefits of Showcasing Tony's Creative Process (Film Analysis)

LINK TO PART 5: How Two Pizza Slices Make Iron Monger One of the MCU’s Best Antagonists

???

A Complete Analysis of Iron Man Part 5: How Two Pizza Slices Make Iron Monger One of the MCU’s Best Antagonists (Film Analysis)

LINK TO PART 4: Tony Stark and the Heart, Ego, and Cheeseburger

A Complete Analysis of Iron Man Part 4: Tony Stark and the Heart, Ego, and Cheeseburger (Film Analysis)

LINK TO PART 3: The Birth of Iron Man

A Complete Analysis of Iron Man Part 3: The Birth of Iron Man (Film Analysis)

LINK TO PART 2: Tony Stark, the Anti-Bruce Wayne

Us (Film Review)

Us is a good film that suffers from a case of too much information.  The film starts off with a wickedly enticing premise and set up.  The Wilson family—mother Adelaide (Lupita Nyong'o), father Gabe (Winston Duke), daughter Zora (Shahadi Wright Joseph), and son Jason (Evan Alex)—are vacationing at their beach house when confronted and captured by another family that looks exactly like them.  These “shadows” are deformed versions of themselves out for revenge—giving each family member a sporting chance (complete with a different challenge) as they enact their vengeance.  I really enjoy this aspect, though, unfortunately, it doesn’t last long as the family regroup and learn that they aren’t the only ones with shadow versions of themselves—with the entire country under attack by deformed doubles.

A Complete Analysis of Iron Man Part 2: Tony Stark, the Anti-Bruce Wayne (Film Analysis)

LINK TO PART 1: The MCU’s Beginnings, The Rise of a Fallen Star, and The Perfect Opening

Captain Marvel (Film Review)

Captain Marvel shares many similarities with Thor.  It’s an action-drama involving extraterrestrial super-beings, planetary escapades that end up revolving around Earth, and utilizes fish-out-of-water comedy with its protagonist.  Captain Marvel stands out from Thor in two noteworthy ways—its period and its protagonist.  The film takes place in the 1990s, effectively making it a backstory for how the Avengers Initiative came to be along with other smaller details such as how Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) lost his eye (spoilers, it’s comedically…underwhelming).  The 90s setting, in general, is quite an impressive replication, though it can get a bit heavy-handed with the nostalgia. The film also uses a combination of makeup and CGI to make actors Samuel L. Jackson and Clark Gregg look convincingly younger.

A Complete Analysis of Iron Man Part 1: The MCU’s Beginnings, The Rise of a Fallen Star, and The Perfect Opening (Film Analysis)

In 2005, Marvel Entertainment took out an over 500-million-dollar loan with plans to launch their own film studio and get in on the ever-increasing cinematic superhero craze.  With the creation of Marvel Studios in conjecture with Paramount Pictures to market and distribute their films, Marvel began plans to release a series of (hopefully) modestly profiting superhero films based on some of their less world-renown properties (since their biggest names like Spider-Man and The X-Men already had their film licenses sold to other studios) that would be connected through recurring characters, setups, plot points, and post-credit scenes—ultimately leading to a collaboration of all these B and C-listers into one massive, blockbuster extravaganza of a film that would be based on The Avengers comic series.

Happy Death Day 2U (Film Review)

Sequels are well known for trying to repeat their predecessor’s formula, but Happy Death Day 2U takes this a step further by using the original film’s Groundhog Day loop premise and actually repeating the same day, again, on loop.  That’s literally the definition of insanity, so how the hell does this seemingly uninspired sequel not only make it work but improve upon nearly every aspect of the original?

The Fault in Our Stars Revisited: At Times Cheesy, At Times Lovey-Dovey, and At Times Powerfully Relatable (Film Analysis)

Look, I’m not going to sit here and write that The Fault in Our Stars isn’t cheesy, or sappy, or lovey-dovey at times.  The film has these aspects, it embraces them to the point of occasionally being cringy.  Two teenagers making out in the Anne Frank House while those around them clap and cheer is not what I consider quality writing.  The thing is, The Fault in Our Stars is still effective with its story, and at its highest points, downright powerful.  That’s because beneath the cheese, and sappiness, and lovey-dovey affection, are two very human characters portrayed by two talented actors—and its these actors who keep The Fault in Our Stars enjoyable and fresh during the lowest of times and potently compelling during its better-written scenes.

Blue Valentine or: A Potent Tragedy and Cautionary Tale on Relationships (Film Analysis)

Blue Valentine is a tragedy about a dysfunctional married couple who finally lose the last lingering sparks in their relationship.  It is a sad, yet potent film that offers a cautionary tale on the don’ts of building a sturdy relationship. 

Drive or: The Scorpion and the Frog, Nature, and Beautiful Violent Artistry (Film Analysis)

One day, a scorpion looked around at the mountain where he lived and decided that he wanted a change. So, he set out on a journey until he reached a river.  The scorpion saw a frog sitting and decided to ask it for help getting across the stream.

"Hellooo Mr. Frog!" called the scorpion, "Would you be so kind as to give me a ride on your back across the river?"

"Well now, Mr. Scorpion! How do I know that if I try to help you, you won’t try to kill me?" asked the frog hesitantly.

"Because," the scorpion replied, "If I try to kill you, then I would die too, for you see I cannot swim!"

Now this seemed to make sense to the frog, so it agreed to take the scorpion across the river. Halfway across the river, the frog suddenly felt a sharp sting in his back and, out of the corner of his eye, saw the scorpion remove his stinger from the frog's back. A deadening numbness began to creep into his limbs.

"You fool!" croaked the frog, "Now we shall both die! Why on earth did you do that?"

The scorpion shrugged, "I could not help myself. It is my nature."

—The Scorpion and the Frog