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Friday, September 29, 2017

[7.00/10] The Big Sick (2017)

The Big Sick (2017)

Quick Review: Arguably the most clever, original, and truly refreshing romantic comedy in years, "The Big Sick" may be too talky, but thanks to the well-written script, the dialogues are always witty and engaging. The cultural clashes are simultaneously the funniest and the most dramatic bits in the film, but its the heartfelt nature of the bitter-sweet story that makes it so very touching. Nanjiani breathes a quirky likability into his character, who cheats on his roots in the name of true love.

Thursday, September 28, 2017

[5.00/10] All Eyez on Me (2017)

All Eyez on Me (2017)

Quick Review: Neither as gripping, powerful, or accomplished as 2016's "Straight Outta Compton", "All Eyez on Me" is poor attempt at a biopic that tries to cover 2PAC's rebellious life in 140 min, and the end result lacks both depth and impact, being too rushed to engage the audience. The director captures the feel of the era accurately with rough edge, and the lookalike Shipp Jr. portrays the hip-hop legend with real pride and determination, but the shallow script never works in his favor.

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

[6.25/10] The Little Hours (2017)

The Little Hours (2017)

Quick Review: Visually muted and technically simplistic, yet full of vivid characters, played hilariously by the comedic cast, "The Little Hours" is a scandalously fun medieval comedy featuring horny, swearing, alcohol- drinking nuns, who always entertain with their language, behavior, and actions, and though there aren't any hysterical laughs and clever jokes, this daring, raunchy, and improper prank of a film will definitely cause controversy, especially because of its amusingly dark finale.

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

[4.00/10] A Ghost Story (2017)

A Ghost Story (2017)

Quick Review: Numb, monotonous and weird beyond belief, this bland supernatural romance attempts to touch and affect through its subtle visual storytelling, and yet instead of being mesmerizing in its peculiarity, "A Ghost Story" turns out to be such an unbearably sluggish, pretentious bore, it feels like watching paint dry. Almost devoid of dialogue, this artsy snoozefest consists of slow and long scenes featuring Affleck covered in a sheet, portraying a dull ghost who practically does nothing.

Monday, September 25, 2017

[7.50/10] Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)

Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)

Quick Review: Tad less technically creative than the original, yet just as fun, wild, energetic, and cartoonish, "The Golden Circle" has little on its mind with its familiar 'drug pandemic' plot, but its classy visual style, and slick execution, along with the multi-angled camera work, flashy action, and elaborate stunts make it a pure blast. Egerton takes over Firth for a change, Moore turns in one helluva bitchy villainess, and Sir Elton John is outrageously hilarious.

Sunday, September 24, 2017

[4.50/10] Cult of Chucky (2017)

Cult of Chucky (2017)

Quick Review: Arguably the worst entry in the already very exhausted franchise, "Cult of Chucky" promises to be your 'guilty pleasure' type of sequel, but the contrived approach, lack of fresh ideas, and cheap looks do not help it achieving its purpose. The sleazy execution is even below the straight-to-DVD merits, the very bleak tone totally kills the fun factor, and the decision to multiply Chucky is plain lame and not effective at all. At least in terms of gore, this one is a straight-out bloodbath.

Saturday, September 23, 2017

[6.00/10] Leatherface (2017)

Leatherface (2017)

Quick Review: A reasonably clever origin story with a sense of mystery, this prequel does a solid job in keep you all guessing who Leatherface is till the gruesome final act, but then again, it lacks the grit, rawness, and brutal intensity of the original, and that combined with the inconsistent pacing takes away from its potential. Directed by the French duo behind "Inside", "Leatherface" is expectedly crazy, gory, and grotesque, but it is the demented characters that make it occasionally unsettling.

Friday, September 22, 2017

[5.75/10] The Bar (2017)

The Bar (2017)

Quick Review: Though labelled as horror comedy, this Spanish flick is neither frightening enough to deliver scares, nor funny enough to provide laughs. That said, "El Bar" deserves credit for being so unconventional, unpredictable, and full of surprises along the way, relaying entirely on its colorful characters and amusing dialogues to distract you from the limited setting. Also, the conclusion is a bit anti-climatic and not effective enough, but at least it shows us the true face of our society.

Thursday, September 21, 2017

[4.00/10] Temple (2017)

Temple (2017)

Quick Review: A poorly-conceived J-horror wannabe that is too hollow, purposeless and underdeveloped to be effective, "Temple" benefits from its murky setting in the countryside of Japan, which gives it a mysterious feel, and thankfully the characters are not a bunch of illogically acting dummies, but the films takes a while in building up tension for nothing, as when it finally reaches to its pseudo climax, the latter is so un-scary, and 'meh', you cannot help but think: 'is that what it's all about?'.

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

[5.50/10] Bushwick (2017)

Bushwick (2017)

Quick Review: It deserves some credit for its gritty feel, well-staged scenes of sheer mayhem, on-point execution, and consistently dynamic pacing due to the relentless camera work, plus, in spite of the paper-thin 'city siege fight for survival' story- line, the movie is never predictable, but "Bushwick" relies more on shock value, thrills, and action then it does on developing its main characters, though Snow and Bautista are both interesting to watch. Not to mention the credibility is lacking.

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

[4.75/10] Jackals (2017)

Jackals (2017)

Quick Review: An inferior version of "The Strangers", this poor effort by "Saw VI" creator Kevin Greutert, never sets itself apart from all other home invasion flicks, in spite of its attempt to appear more messed up. There are definitely some disturbing bits in it, and the violence will satisfy those who enjoy shallow thrills, but "Jackals"'s weak script doesn't have enough brains to raise the film up to a more visceral level, with the end result being a well-made and acted, if numb exercise in gore.

Monday, September 18, 2017

[6.00/10] Little Evil (2017)

Little Evil (2017)

Quick Review: Mostly a semi-funny comic take on the horror sub-genre of 'creepy kids', "Little Evil" plays it more like a spoof rather than a real horror comedy, and though it never reaches greatness, neither in terms of hilarity, nor creepiness-wise, this goofy little movie works to a certain extend, as it embraces the fact it's a joke and allows it cast to fully enjoy themselves. Sure, it's far from scary, but it gets crazy enough towards the end to give you a chill or two, and it looks just sleek enough.

Sunday, September 17, 2017

[7.50/10] Logan Lucky (2017)

Logan Lucky (2017)

Quick Review: With Soderbergh's signature 'smoothly long shots with handheld camerawork and yellow or blue tints' visual style written all over it, "Logan Lucky" is a witty, cheerful, and smartly-conceived heist comedy executed in a goofy and implausible way in order to entertain and amuse through its contradictory approach, which it does, ending up being one of the most amusing robbery movies ever, complemented by the brilliant cast, who all enjoy working together, sharing great chemistry.

Friday, September 15, 2017

[3.50/10] My Pet Dinosaur (2017)

My Pet Dinosaur (2017)

Quick Review: Borrowing the good formula from "The Water Horse", but using some sort of ridiculous alien dinosaur instead, "My Pet Dinosaur" has good intentions, being entirely family-friendly, but it is so obvious, amateurishly-executed, stiffly-acted, and further let down by the cheesy cartoon-like CGI work, pretty much everything about it is beyond lame, and not even the sweet children and cute dinos can make up for its pretty sub-par execution that makes it look like a made-for-TV crap.

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

[5.00/10] Paris Can Wait (2017)

Paris Can Wait (2017)

Quick Review: An utterly carefree no-brainer of a road trip movie with a touch of romance to give it some sort of meaning, "Paris Can Wait" is basically about a delightful middle aged woman who travels through France with one of her husband's business partners on their way to Paris, enjoying the gourmet meals, the wine, and the pretty nature, and though the film is easy to watch, and Lane is alluring in the lead role, the whole thing feels very purposeless, bordering on pointless.

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

[4.00/10] WTF! (2017)

WTF! (2017)

Quick Review: A been-there-done -that teen slasher set in the woods affair, "WTF!" completely lives up to its title in a cheesy, non-scary, and unintentionally amusing way -- every single one of the characters is as hollow as they are unlikable, so you wouldn't give a shit if they die or not, the plot is extremely predictable and you can see the twist ending coming from miles away, plus, the kills are generic. At least the fancy cabin is nice to look at, and the camera work is surprisingly adequate.

Monday, September 11, 2017

[6.75/10] Megan Leavey (2017)

Megan Leavey (2017)

Quick Review: Inspired by a true story that is so heartfelt, it deserves to be told, "Megan Leavey" may be by-the-numbers, even stereotypical at times, but that barely takes away from its credibility. Though set in the army, the film is all about the strong bond between a female marine and her combat dog, which is so moving, it packs the movie with an emotional punch that will surely hit you right in the heart. Kate Mara appears truly invested in the title character, giving a fantastic performance.

Sunday, September 10, 2017

[5.75/10] Unlocked (2017)

Unlocked (2017)

Quick Review: Easy to figure out, verging on predictable, and far from being as sharp and intelligent as it intends to be, due to a cliched script which fails to escape the overused spy thriller formula, yet moderately engrossing for what it is, "Unlocked" has one of the very best ensemble casts of the year with Noomi Rapace showcasing her true versatility and turning in another truly outstanding performance in the lead, but in the end O'Brien's effort is an uninspired and unmemorable affair.

Saturday, September 9, 2017

[8.50/10] It (2017)

It (2017)

Quick Review: Equal parts sinister and funny, without compromising on the emotional side of its story, which concerns bullying, domestic abuse, and oppression, this skillfully-crafted and faithful adaptation focuses on the adorably colorful characters and their naturally powerful bond, but it's also full of wit, laughs, romance, and suspense. With its genuine late '80s looks, and eerie tone, "It" is a chill- giver that delivers plenty of scares, with Pennywise being creepy as hell in its shapeshifting forms.

Friday, September 8, 2017

[4.75/10] Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul (2017)

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul (2017)

Quick Review: This time around the 'wimpy kid' hits the road, but is it a trip worth taking? Well, not really. Although it's still harmless, and has some appeal, "The Long Haul" feels much more like the juvenile version of "Vacation" than an adaptation of the books it's based on, lacking the wit of the previous two, and full of infant humor and dumb jokes. Third time definitely isn't the charm for this franchise, with the new cast making it even less fun than it is.

Thursday, September 7, 2017

[6.25/10] Heal the Living (2017)

Heal the Living (2017)

Quick Review: Too straightforward to be special or truly one-of-a-kind, if profoundly sensual in expressing genuine human emotions, "Heal the Living" is a sad, hard to watch, and sincerely devastating medical drama with an inwaved plot structure about loss, sorrow, and hope. Both tragic and somewhat uplifting, it treats its subject delicately and with respect, focusing entirely on the importance of human life, while also being very edifying about the organ donating, and everything behind it.

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

[3.25/10] A Few Less Men (2017)

A Few Less Men (2017)

Quick Review: To call this sequel to '12's "A Few Best Men" pointless would be a big understatement. Set as well as shot in Western Australia, this one offers lavish scenery, lifted by some vibrant use of colors, but that's about it really. Crude, juvenile, often offensive, and totally moronic, "A Few Less Men" tries too hard to be funny in a goody sort of way, but none of its dumb jokes and farcical situations deliver laughs, nor any of the silly characters contributes with decent physical comedy.

Monday, September 4, 2017

[5.50/10] Death Note (2017)

Death Note (2017)

Quick Review: Based on the dark manga series of the same name, yet not fully faithful to it, "Death Note" aims to differ itself from the source material instead of doing justice to it, but fails to benefit from that. Far from terrible, it's a fairly entertaining movie with gruesome death scenes, and a sinister-looking, yet wickedly insidious creature brought to life by the fantastic Dafoe, but the rushed pacing, many plot holes, and largely miscast protagonist bring it all down to a level of 'mediocrity'.

Sunday, September 3, 2017

[6.50/10] It Comes at Night (2017)

It Comes at Night (2017)

Quick Review: As mysterious and ambiguous as its title, "It Comes at Night" is all about the eerie tone and the constantly paranoid atmosphere it sustains, which combined with the highly taut anticipation of something horrifying to happen increases the sheer sense of dread with each next scene, helped by the darkly muted visual style. The brilliant acting from everybody involved adds big value, but the brutal climax is followed by a let-down finale that makes the movie seem kind of incomplete.

Saturday, September 2, 2017

[5.00/10] We Go On (2017)

We Go On (2017)

Quick Review: Conceptually smart, but rather poorly executed, and not only due to its small budget, but due to director's inability to create a true haunting tone, which would help its otherwise well thought-out plot, "We Go On" starts off strongly enough to give you the feel it's an indie horror film done right, but after the climax with the encounter midway through, it goes out of control, and loses all the tension it has built to this point, offering cheap scares, and imagery of lame-looking ghosts.