Just because an idea sounds stupid, doesn't mean it is in fact... stupid. That's what we all learned when the first Lego Movie was released and surprised everyone on earth and space (do astronauts have Netflix?). What could have been a giant commercial for Legos ended up being... a giant commercial for Legos, but a damn good one with a lot of charm. The writing was what stood out the most. It knew exactly what it wanted to be and it didn't take itself seriously for the most part. So here we are now with a sequel that begs the question: Is the world getting tired of Lego movies?
Honestly, after the Ninjago movie, I thought the answer was yes. There's a certain style of humor these movies ALL have now. That self-aware and making tons of references style of humor that was great in the first one, but has become in danger of becoming stale now after three movies. Going into this new sequel I was worried it would start to wear on me and it just wouldn't be as charming. Honestly, it kind of was the case with Lego Movie 2. The jokes definitely hit a lot less in this movie, but there's still a lot of times I laughed out loud. The characters are still very charming and lovable, so that really helps the movie a lot.
This time around, the story picks up right after the first movie. It revolves around the idea of the son from the first movie who played with his dad's Legos, but this time he has to share with his little sister. It leads to a conflict between the Legos from the first movie against all the kiddie and girly toys that the sister is bringing in. It ends up being a pretty predictable story, but that's not really a problem because it's done well enough to excuse that... for the most part. The thing that makes it less impactful than the first one is that we already know that they are being controlled by humans in the real world, so the moments where we might see the human aspect of the story aren't as cool and shocking as the first time it was revealed. It makes the story a lot more predictable, but it also adds to the humor since you understand the world a lot more.
The animation is still top-notch. Everything looks like Legos, and it's all highly detailed. The movement of the Legos is still really well done and funny even after three other movies. After this movie was done though, I think I would be okay with if the Lego Movie franchise took a little break, at least for a few years. Either that or try something different with the style and humor, The problem with making movies based on Legos from this point on is that they will all have to look the same because they are all based on the same Lego toys. So it will be a challenge to make that visually interesting after four movies now that all share the same visual style and animation.
Lego Movie 2 was a really good time despite some flaws. It had a lot of good laughs and a decent enough story with some good messages for the kids. The franchise is in danger of becoming stale if it keeps going the way it is at this point, so I hope it takes a break for a few years. BUT if you enjoyed any of the other Lego movies, then this one is an easy recommendation.
2018 came and went about as fast as everyone wanted it to. It was an interesting year for entertainment, especially in the movie side of things. While in a lot of art seemed to be very mediocre this year (mostly music), there were still plenty of great movies that I really enjoyed watching. There didn't seem to be a lot of amazing things out there, but still enough to be able to make a list like this. There were a lot of movies that I hoped would have been a lot better but ended up being very disappointing. Movies like Aquaman, Tomb Raider, and Star Wars: Solo were not as good as I hoped, but still entertaining in a lot of ways. Other movies like A Wrinkle in Time and Pacific Rim Uprising ended up being huge disappointments that I really disliked. But this list isn't about the bad ones, it's about the good ones. The movies that I loved and that I will watch again and again over time. Movies that stayed with me weeks after I watched them and inspired me. So here are the TOP 10 movies of 2018 (in my opinion). Note that I haven't seen every movie of 2018 and will eventually try to see a lot of the good films I missed.
Honorable Mentions:
Call Me By Your Name: This movie technically came out in late 2017, but I didn't get a chance to see it until January 2018. It's been a whole year since I've seen this movie, but I still remember it pretty clearly. It was different than anything else I've seen this year. It was a beautiful movie from the storytelling, pacing, cinematography, acting, to the writing. It all worked together to make a great slow paced romance between two characters that had great chemistry.
Thoroughbreds: A little movie that came out earlier this year. It was a really unique movie about two teen girls who are planning to kill one of their annoying step-fathers. The story is meant to be a dark comedy and it really worked thanks to the great performances and the acting. It goes to places you don't expect it to go.
Love, Simon: A movie about a high schooler coming out of the closet didn't sound like a very unique idea when I first heard about this movie. It actually ended up being a really good movie in the end. While the subject matter has been done before in other ways, this movie did it in a way that felt very honest and heartfelt.
Juliet, Naked: Judging by the title, I thought this going to be a raunchy adult comedy. It actually isn't anything close to that. What it actually is though, is a really great romantic comedy movie. It's the story of a married couple who are struggling in their marriage. The big reason why is because the husband is obsessed with a musician named Tucker Crowe who release only one album before disappearing. That album was named "Juliet, Naked". The wife happens to meet Tucker Crowe and she begins getting close to him. It ends up being a nice heartfelt story with memorable performances.
Hearts Beat Loud: I randomly stumbled upon this movie and ended up really enjoying it. It's about a father (who's played by Nick Offerman) and daughter who start an indie band together. Features some really good original music and it's a short and sweet movie about love, loss, and passion.
Won't You Be My Neighbor: One of the best documentaries I've seen in a long time. Fred Rogers was an amazing human being and his story is one of the most inspiring out there.
Three Identical Strangers: Speaking of great documentaries, this one was a nice surprise. The true story of three college kids who find out they were triplets separated at birth. What starts off a nice family reunion turns into a much darker story about experiments and secrets.
Roma: If you have a Netflix account give this movie a chance. It's a really beautifully made movie and it's worth a watch.
Sorry to Bother You: The less you know going into this movie the better your experience will be watching it. All I can say is that it went to places I would have never would have imagined. My jaw literally dropped at the places this movie went. Not everyone will like that aspect of the movie, but I really think it's worth a try.
I, Tonya: So I kept this movie out of my top ten mostly because it technically came out December 2017. This was the first movie I went out to see in 2018 and it's still one of the best movies I've seen this year. If it had come out in 2018 it would be on my list without question.
Crazy Rich Asians: A movie that I think a lot of people really loved, rightfully so. It was a full Asian cast movie that really paid respect to Chinese culture, while also poking some fun at it. It had some great performances by some new faces and some familiar ones. Awkwafina stole every scene she was in and hopefully gets bigger roles because of this.
Now for the ACTUAL top 10 list!
10. Blindspotting
I wasn't really sure what this was going to be when I started watching it. I knew that the story revolved around police violence against defenseless African-Americans, but I wasn't exactly sure how it was going to play out. It ended up being a really strong movie that was able to have moments of great humor that didn't take away from the strong emotional moments that hit throughout the movie. It tackles a subject that's still very relevant in the United States in a way that helped open my eyes to how people that are affected by it feel every day. The movie builds to a finale that has one of the most powerful scenes of the year.
9. A Star is Born
I thought this movie would be higher on the list, but over time I think its effect on my has simmered down a bit. I still really enjoyed watching this movie from start to finish though. It had a great performance by Lady Gaga, who I think deserves all the praise she's getting from it. Bradley Cooper was also great, but I think that's less of a surprise because he's an established actor. It had some great original music, which helped elevate the performance scenes. Overall a memorable movie with some really great moments and performances.
8. Infinity War
It's hard to put it much higher on the list since it's only one half of a movie and we still don't know how the rest of the story plays out. It has shocking moments that I still can't take too seriously since I don't think Marvel Studios is going to stick by most of them. Besides that though, this was everything that it needed to be as an introduction to Thanos and his master plan. It was had a very different tone compared to most other Marvel movies which was really cool to see. Every character got the perfect amount of screen time and it was really awesome to see some fire time meetups on screen. I can't wait to see how it all plays out in the finale in a few months.
7. Hereditary
It isn't too often that a horror movie makes this list, but this movie deserves to be up here. It was a truly creepy and uncomfortable experience. The acting was phenomenal, which isn't something you can say a lot in horror films. The best part was that the movie didn't rely on cheap tactics and jump scares to make you feel fear. It relied on its atmosphere and performances to really bring in the scares. It also has one of the most memorable scenes I've probably ever seen (the car scene, if you know it).
6. BlacKkKlansman
This was a really great movie with some awesome performances. It was uncomfortable sitting through a lot of the KKK scenes, but it was good that the movie didn't hold back from that part of the story. It also had a good sense of humor to relieve some of the tension that came from the those KKK meeting scenes. It felt oddly topical for a movie that takes place many decades ago.
5. Black Panther
This is one of the best Marvel movies ever made and that's really saying something when you see how great their catalog is. Ryan Coogler directed the crap out of this movie and made something really special, unique, and memorable. The performances were awesome, the visuals were awesome, the villain was awesome and the action was fun. It's also a really important movie that has inspired many people around the world.
4. Upgrade
I love sci-fi movies probably more than any other genre, so when a movie like this comes out of nowhere it always puts me in a great mood. This movie had a cool story, great action scenes, a cool atmosphere and a weird sense of humor that I really enjoyed. It was full of surprises as well, some that I didn't see coming at all. Probably the most surprisingly good movie of the year.
3. Mission Impossible: Fallout
Tom Cruise does it again. The Mission Impossible movies somehow keep getting better and better and it's kind of crazy considering how good the last few have been. This one was full of fantastic action sequences, cool performances, a really nice Henry Cavill mustache, and Tom Cruise putting his life on the line to get some great shots. It was non-stop fun with some cool character moments for Ethan Hunt. I'd never thought I'd be so excited to see two more of these movies, but I can't wait to see what else they can pull out of their crazy minds.
2. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
It was a really tough choice between this one and the one that actually was my favorite movie of the year. Honestly, I'd probably put them in a tie but that wouldn't be as interesting. This movie got everything right though. The animation was the most interesting and unique animation all year long. The story was fantastic and the voice acting was perfect. The humor worked pretty much 100% of the movie, with lots of great references to other Spider-Man works. It had great attention to detail and it showed how much the creators cared about not only making a great movie but making a great SPIDER-MAN movie. The fact that this was the best comic movie the same year that Black Panther and Infinity War came out shows how awesome this movie truly was.
and the number one movie is...
1. Annihilation
This is the kind of movie that stays with you after you watch it. It's a highly detailed movie full of so much that it takes more than one watch to really get everything it has to offer. It leaves you wondering about its many bizarre scenes and themes way after it's over. The best part is that it's all presented in a beautiful sci-fi landscape full of wonder and terror mixed into one. It's a beautifully creepy movie with some the best visuals of the year. While a lot of people might not like what it has to offer, I'd say you should at least give it a chance.
2018 is officially dead and buried and boy what a year it was. It was indeed a year. When it came to movies of 2018, there were a lot of good and bad ones (my favorite movies of 2018 coming soon). 2019 has a LOT of movies to be excited about, so like last year I thought I would list some of the more interesting ones and some of the obvious ones (Disney). There's a lot of potential for some great movie-going experiences and I hope all of these movies live up to the hype or exceed it.
Jan 11: Replicas
January is usually a slow month for movies, but the last few years there have been some surprisingly decent movies (Paddington 2 and Split from 2018 and 2017). This looks like one of those movies that could be a nice surprise or a big letdown. The premise seems interesting enough, Keanu Reeves plays a scientist whose family dies in a car crash. He uses futuristic technology from his lab to recreate them as robots that look and act exactly like them as if they had never died. It looks like it could be an entertaining sci-fi thriller, but it's also being made by the creators of Transformers and Passengers, which aren't great movies. Still, it's got Keanu Reeves in it, which automatically makes it worth giving it a watch.
Jan 18: Glass
The first big movie of the year is also the sequel to a surprise hit from January 2017, Split. This movie picks up where the last one left off, connecting it to the story of M. Night Shyamalan's Unbreakable. All the characters from both films meet up to bring the story together into what looks like a big showdown between the heroes and villains. Not really sure how this is going to play out, but I'm very excited to watch this movie, which is the first time in many years I've said that about a Shyamalan movie. He really needs to knock this one out of the park in order to show everyone that he is truly back and ready to make great films again. I'm rooting for him.
Feb 8: Lego Movie 2
Back when the first movie was announced, I don't think anyone had high hopes for it. A movie about Legos sounded like something that wouldn't work as a movie and would come off as just a big advertisement. It ended up being one of the funniest and well crafted animated movies of the year in 2014, and it had some pretty strong competition. Judging from the trailers, this looks to be more of the same style of humor and crazy animation, which is not a bad thing at all. If the writing is as good as the first one, this will be another great movie. Though, I think they need to slow down with these lego movies a bit. It already feels like they put them out too frequently and it could start to get old.
Feb 14: Alita / Fighting With My Family
ALITA: I actually talked about Alita in my preview for 2018 early last year. This movie was supposed to be released around Christmas week of 2018 but was thankfully pushed until Feb 2019. This gives it a much better chance of actually being watched since it won't have as much competition as it would have last month in December. I still have no idea how to feel about this movie. The animation looks incredibly detailed to kind of a scary point. Hopefully, it won't be as distracting as it seems to see her interact with human actors. This could turn out to be a really cool movie, but I'm not going in with high expectations... just in case.
FIGHTING WITH MY FAMILY: As for Fighting With My Family, this one is interesting because of the subject matter. The movie is based on the life of WWE professional wrestler Paige's life and how her entire family are wrestlers from the UK. It's being made by The Rock's film studio partnered with the WWE. It's got an interesting cast and the story is a really interesting one based on a really cool person.
Feb 22: How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
The third installment of the very popular franchise is coming early next year. Can't say I'm incredibly excited to go back into this world, but I have a feeling this movie will be a fine movie. I'd say that about all the How to Train Your Dragon movies... they are fine. Finding a love interest for Toothless seems like the most obvious choice for what could be the last movie.
Mar 8: Captain Marvel
The first of 100 Marvel movies of 2019 is here! Captain Marvel will bridge the two Avengers movies by taking us back to the '90s. The story looks to focus on the amnesia that Carol has as she battles with aliens and shoots lasers out of her hands or something. Honestly, I'm trying to go into this with as little info as possible, because I want to be surprised. I think it's safe to trust Marvel at this point with its characters and I'm sure they will do this right and get us even movie excited for Endgame. I could always be wrong though... ! ? ! ... ?
Mar 22: Dumbo / Captive State
DUMBO: The first of three Disney live-action remakes this year, Dumbo! Tim Burton is going to be directing this one which has me slightly concerned. Burton is a legendary director no doubt, but the last decade he hasn't really put out any great movies, except maybe Frankenweenie? Dumbo has a strong cast behind it and of course all the money that Disney is throwing at it. Disney remaking every single one of its popular animated classics in "live-action" format hasn't really been working for me. The only one so far that I really liked was The Jungle Book, which is also one of the classic Disney movies that I didn't really have a big connection with from childhood. Another classic Disney movie that I don't have a strong connection with also happens to be Dumbo, so maybe there's a higher chance that I will like this one?
CAPTIVE STATE: The other movie this week is the big-budget sci-fi movie Captive State. This one looks like a weird cross between The Purge and the Cloverfield series. A world where aliens have taken over and created a crime free world through what looks like torture and fear tactics. The main reason I have any interest in this is that it's coming from the director of the recent Rise Planet of the Apes movie, which was an awesome start to an awesome trilogy.
Apr 5: SHAZAM!
I really need this movie to be good. After so many disappointing DC movies, I really need to just see something that actually works as a complete movie. This one looks to have a lot of potential and also looks like it could be a really fun movie that doesn't take itself too seriously. If this movie just focuses on great characters and an easy to follow story without tons of exposition, I think it could be really good. My hopes are high for this movie and it's opening on a comic book heavy month, so hopefully, it isn't overshadowed and forgotten quickly.
Apr 12: Hellboiiii / Missing Link
HELLBOY: It's crazy to think it's already been 10 years since the last Hellboy movie came out. The previous Hellboy movies were actually good, though had a lot of flaws in them. Casting David Harbour as Hellboy was a really cool choice and it looks like they are going to try to focus a lot on over the top action and humor. It looks like a great popcorn movie, like the first Guardians movie and the latest Thor movie.
MISSING LINK: The follow up to the movie that inspired me to start writing these mediocre movie reviews (Kubo and the Two Strings). This movie looks so beautifully animated, I'm definitely going to have to watch this movie on the biggest screen possible and the highest quality possible. The story looks a lot goofier than Kubo and will probably be a lot more light-hearted. The movie will center around a Bigfoot-like creature that can speak our language. He teams up with an explorer to try to find others like him and possibly mind a new link between Bigfoot and humans.
Apr 19: Under the Silver Lake
Andrew Garfield stars in the next movie by the awesome A24 film studio. This movie looks pretty insane in all the right ways. Garfield's character Sam meets a woman, who happens to be his neighbor, and they really hit it off. He goes over to her place the next day to find that she has completely disappeared and is nowhere to be found. What follows looks to be a bunch of quirky adventures as Sam tries to find the missing girl by any means necessary. Movies like these are the ones I always feel the most excited for. An original movie with an interesting premise, that looks like nothing I've ever seen before. April is shaping up to be a great month for movies.
Apr 26: Avengers Endgame
Do I even have to say anything? The answer is no, but I'm gonna do it anyway. This is most likely gonna be the highest selling movie of the year, with only the next Star Wars possibly being any form of competition. It's not really competition when Disney happens to own both of these series though. There's a lot of questions going into Endgame, and I'm still not convinced we are going to get all the answers from this movie. All I know is that Marvel Studios seems like it can do no wrong and I don't think they are going to start making misfires at this point.
May 10: Detective Pikachu
I could have sworn that this movie was just a very strange dream I had, but no it's actually real and happening. I still don't know how to feel about this movie, to be honest. The lead actor looks kind of... unconvincing. Ryan Reynolds as Pikachu is also a pretty weird casting choice. There were parts in the trailer that excited me and also worried me. It looks like it's going to be a fun movie overall and hopefully, those casting choices end up working in the full movie. Video game movies still haven't really gone anywhere. Last year's Tomb Raider film was a decent one and maybe this one will continue the streak? Although that streak won't be lasting long since there's another one of these coming out late in the year and it looks.... well.... we'll get to that later.
May 17: John Wick 3
The first John Wick movie was one of the biggest surprises of 2014 and it really put Keanu Reeves back on the map as a big action movie star. The second one upped the stakes and somehow improved on the great first film. This next one looks to continue that trend by sending every assassin after John Wick, as he tries to escape with his life. The John Wick series has really put Keanu back on as a top action star/movie star. I'm not sure how many more of these we're gonna get, but this is one series I'll keep on watching.
May 24: Aladdin
As I mentioned before, this whole Disney remaking all of their classics as live-action movies isn't really working for me so far. The difference between this and Dumbo is that I actually have a strong connection to the original Aladdin. The original animated movie was a game changer for Disney and the way they made movies. It introduced a new style of humor, using pop culture references in a setting where they don't technically belong. In that movie, it worked because of the good writing and the iconic performance by Robin Williams as the Genie. I'm hoping that they don't try to do that in this new remake and instead try something new, especially with the Genie. Will Smith is a good actor, who hasn't really been in many good movies recently. I don't think I can say a lot of people are super excited to see him as Genie, but that leaves room for a nice surprise.
May 31: Godzilla King of the Monsters
The trailer for this movie was fantastic. The cast is fantastic. The effects look fantastic. The last Godzilla movie was none of those things. It was a decent movie that helped introduce the world to Hollywood Kaiju movies alongside the first Pacific Rim. By the end of the first Godzilla, I was left with a lot of hope and optimism for the sequel. It looks like they have the right idea here. The only concern for me is the number of villains they seem to be trying to fit into this movie. I'm just judging everything by the trailer, so I have no real idea how it all plays out. All I can say is I'm very excited to see monsters beat the s**t out of each other. Yummie.
June 7: Dark Phoenix / Secret Life of Pets 2
I sorta feel the same about these two movies at the moment. That is to say, I'm not very excited about either of them. Dark Phoenix seems to be having lots of problems and it's not even out yet. It was delayed many months from its original 2018 release alongside New Mutants. The last X-Men movie that this one is following up wasn't good either. The X-Men series has reached great highs in quality and also has provided some of the worst comic book movies ever. I hope this one isn't another letdown, because X-Men is still my favorite comic book series and it's got so much potential. I might be one of the few people that don't really care to see the X-Men join the MCU, but if the two movies they got for this year are flops... well maybe it's better in Disney's hands like everything else is. As for Secret Life of Pets 2. It's just not for me. Illumination Studios makes mediocre animation and this one isn't going to be any different. It's a good movie for kids, but that's about it.
June 14: Men in Black International
Seems like no franchise can ever just truly go away. If you gotta keep it going through, Men in Black International looks like a great way to do that. Two great leads who have already proven they work well together in the last Thor. Changing things up by taking things to the UK is also a neat idea that could provide enough change to make this a fresh take on a franchise that was getting stale. This looks like a great popcorn movie for the summer.
June 21: Toy Story 4
Man, this year has 90s nostalgia all over the place. The last Toy Story seemed like the perfect way to end the series and say goodbye to all our favorite Pixar characters we grew up with. Things don't go away these days though, especially when they can bring in the billions. Pixar did say that the reason they are making this movie is that they had an idea so good for a sequel that they HAD to make it. I guess we won't really know for sure until the movie comes out in a few months. I feel like I should be a lot more excited about this considering how much I love Toy Story...
July 5: Spider-Man Far from Home
Spider-Man has been killing it recently, and not just on the Disney side of things. Three big hits in a row with Homecoming, Venom, and Spider-Verse. No doubt that this one will make that four big hits. You already got a great cast returning from the first movie and you get the addition of Jake Gyllenhaal playing the best Spider-Man villain Mysterio. This is going to be awesome.
July 19: The Lion King
Disney's not taking any breaks this coming Summer season. We're going to have Toy Story 4, Spider-Man, and The Lion King playing in theatres at the same time. The Lion King will be the last "live-action" remake of 2018 if you can call it live-action. Judging by the trailers it looks like a full CG movie, so I have no idea what live-action means anymore. The trailer literally looks exactly like the original animated movie from the 90s except not as cute. Like I said about Aladdin, I don't want this to be a shot-for-shot remake that doesn't change anything about the original. Like if they could show the hyenas shredding Scar to pieces at the end without cutting away, then it would be worth it. Seriously. Do it, Disney.*
July 26: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Not to be confused with Once Upon a Time in Mexico, which itself was not to be confused with Once Upon a Time in America. What was I talking about again?
So Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is the next big Tarantino movie starring Brad DiCaprio and Leonardo Pitt. Wait... That's not right.
Look this movie is going to be awesome, that's all you need to know.
Aug 2: New Mutants / Hobbs & Shaw
NEW MUTANTS: I could probably just copy and paste what I wrote about Dark Phoenix here. Also probably throw in a Game of Thrones joke since they both star two Starks from that show." But I would never do that. Never.
HOBBS & SHAW: The movie that led Tyrese Gibson to a public meltdown and Vinn Diesel to hating The Rock so much he didn't want to be on the same set as him. Hobbs & Shaw is the new spinoff of the Fast and Furious movies that have made less and less sense as they continue. Finally just taking all the bad parts about the Fast movies and keeping the good parts, which are The Rock and Jason Statham. On paper, this sounds like an awesome idea. These two guys are great action stars and this could make for a very fun movie if done right. Not much else at this point since nothing else has been shown yet. #TyreseSpinOff
Aug 16: PLAYMOBIL
...wait, what-
Sept 6: IT Chapter 2
Yet again it seems like IT has the entire month to itself, has no one learned? The first IT came out in September of 2017 with no competition near it, allowing it to dominate the box office and break a lot of records for that month. Looks like the follow-up is going to follow that same strategy, rightly so. The first movie was a huge success not only because of its great release date but because the movie was actually really good. Horror movies have been doing pretty good these days since they usually have a low budget it doesn't take much to make a profit. I think audiences are really craving great horror movies too, so that actually helps out too. The potential is great for this sequel and the concept sounds like a perfect idea for a sequel. The story picks up 27 years later with an all-new cast playing the grown-up versions of the previous movie's characters. It's an all-star cast and this movie is all set to be another big hit with audiences and critics alike.
Oct 4: Joker
A Joker origin story seems like the last thing I wanted from DC... that is until I saw who was playing Joker. Joaquin Phoenix is one of those actors that can get me to watch a movie on name recognition alone. He's such an interesting actor and his roles are almost always at the very least intriguing. Even in bad movies, he's usually the best part of them. This could really be interesting to see, though I wonder where it all ties with the rest of the DC movies. I'm very interested to see how this turns out.
Oct 11: Zombieland 2
Feels like ages ago since the first Zombieland came out. Maybe that's because it was 10 whole years ago? Yeah, that's probably it. A lot of the actors in this movie went on to star in some amazing things after this after this movie. Jessie Eisenberg and Emma Stone have starred in award-winning movies and won some awards themselves. At a time where we most movies we get are sequels and remakes it's strange this one didn't come sooner. I think that's a good thing though, it gave the actors lots of time to grow as performers and also grow in age. This is a sequel people have been asking for since they saw the first one 10 years ago. I hope it was worth the wait.
Oct 18: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Last years Won't You Be My Neighbor was the best documentary of the year, and also one of the best movies of the year. It really did a great job at showing just who Fred Rogers was and how he changed television forever. This year we will see Tom Hanks take the role of Fred Rogers in a new biopic that will basically do the same thing the documentary did but from a different point of view. Tom Hanks seemed to be the only actor that could possibly play this role so it will be interesting to see how it all plays out on screen.
Nov 8: Sonic the Hedgehog (Dankey Kang)
It's always a good sign when people are already upset at a movie by just its first poster. I can't say I blame them because OH MY GOD this poster looks really stupid. Sonic has a pretty iconic design that has worked for many decades in video games, comics, and tv shows. From the looks of this poster, it looks like they've made him into a monster. This doesn't really mean the movie is going to be bad or good, I guess. It's just not a great sign when Hollywood takes something that doesn't need to be changed and does it anyway. Detective Pikachu is doing this right by changing the art style of the characters, but still keeping the original designs intact. Why the hell is a Sonic movie coming out in 2019 anyway? Who asked for this?
Nov 22: Frozen 2
After a few months of letting other studios make some money, Disney is back at full force with one of its recent mega-hits. Frozen was a worldwide phenomenon that inspired a s**t-ton of youtube videos where little girls sing "Let it Go". The question going into this is this: Can Disney write a song that becomes as instantly iconic as "Let it Go"? Or will they just reuse that song in this sequel? Writing a four-chord pop song mega-hit shouldn't be too hard for them, especially with the amount of money and connections they have. As for the movie itself... well I'm sure it will be another fine movie. The first movie was fine. Nothing special or groundbreaking, but a good movie for younger audiences with very memorable songs to help with rewatch-ability.
Dec 20: Star Wars Episode IX - Return of the Abrams
Earlier this year I wrote a long post about the history of Star Wars and how I feel about the franchise after all the recent movies. [You can read it here if you want]. Basically what I said though, was that more than ever I find myself unexcited about the Star Wars franchise and its upcoming movies. Solo was a big failure not only critically and financially, but it also put off a lot of big Star Wars fans. Disney really needs this to be not only a financially successful movie (which it will be in some way) but a critically successful movie, especially with fans. After The Last Jedi, I found myself to be not very interested in how this trilogy is going to end. Is it just going to be another Return of the Jedi type story, where the big villain Kylo realizes he was wrong and changes sides? It really seems like that's where it's headed. With multiple new tv series and movie trilogies coming in the next few years, things need to change. Star Wars needs to step away from the Skywalker storyline and introduce completely new characters and new stories that aren't connected to the episodic movies. That's how I feel anyway. Star Wars is always a big event when it comes out and I want it to always feel that way. Last year was the first time I didn't rush out to watch a Star Wars movie with Solo, and it was a strange feeling. Hopefully, this last movie will be a nice sendoff to the Skywalker story.
2020 - The End of a Decade
It's been a long and amazing decade for movies and this last year looks to send things off with a bang. The movies on this list are just the major ones that have been officially announced, there are sure to be tons of great indie movies and more to look forward to. Here are some takeaways:
- Disney is releasing at least nine giant movies, most being sequels and remakes.
- The comic book movie crazy looks to be going strong into this year with at least 8 movies.
- Video game movies are going to keep getting made despite the history of flops.
- We could really use a new original franchise about now, but sadly most new ideas seem to fail... because they aren't good (*cough* Mortal Engines *cough*)
I'll always have a soft spot in my heart when it comes to anime films. Every year there's at least one anime film that I am really looking forward to and this year it was Mirai. Mirai was directed by beloved anime film director Mamoru Hosoda, who has created some of the best anime films in recent memory (Wolf Children, Boy and the Beast and Summer Wars). The bar has been set high for his movies, and I was excited to see if Mirai would live up to the standard he has set.
Mirai is definitely the most beautifully animated movie by Hosoda so far. There's just something about hand-drawn animation that will always look better than CG in my opinion. Sadly, the days of hand-drawn are slowly going away, but this movie proves to me that it still has a lot of worth. The detail, color, movement, expression, and style bring something special and unique to this movie. Though to be fair, there is a large amount of CG used in the movie, but it blends well with the traditional style. The animation, alongside the beautifully done score, the great voice acting and storytelling make this another great movie from Hosoda.
The story focuses on a young boy named Kun and his family. Kun's life is changed for the worst (in his eyes) when his parents come home with a new baby, a little sister named Mirai. As any young boy would, he becomes extremely jealous of all the attention Mirai is getting now. During one of his tantrums, he is transported to a new world. Throughout the movie, he is transported to different time periods where he meets his family members at younger and older ages and learns more about his family through them. This leads to realizations that help little Kun grow and learn to be a different person. It's a story that I'm sure lots of people can identify with, especially ones who grew up with older siblings or has two or more kids. It's a nice message that I haven't seen too much in family movies recently and it is told in a fun and inventive way to appeal to young and older audiences alike. Though I'm sure the older audiences will probably get more out of the storytelling.
I can't say that I loved every second of this movie though, as it takes it while before it really takes off. It takes it's time building up to the first time travel reveal. The movie spends a lot of time at Kun's house, which got visually boring after spending a little too much time there. The story also felt a bit slow in the moments in the house while the story introduced all the characters and the relationship between Kun and Mirai. All that changed though, after the time travel is introduced it really kicks off visually and the storytelling goes up along with it. It's well worth the wait too, because it leads to some beautifully animated moments, with some great heartfelt moments to go along. There's a lot of lessons to be learned in this story, and the movie deals with them in a way that doesn't feel too pandering to the younger audience, but in a way, they can still understand it. Though I'm not sure if a young child will be patient enough to make it through those slower moments of the movie, I'd sure hope so. This movie is shorter than your average big budget film, but at times it felt like it dragged a little bit. This is a slow paced movie and a few times I wanted the movie to move just a little faster and get to the next scene/sequence. But by the end of the movie, I understood why it was made that way. I appreciate everything this movie did because it all seemed purposeful and made to fit the story that it was trying to tell.
Mirai was a fun experience that I came out of feeling good. The visuals were some of the best I've seen all year and the story, while sometimes slow, was good and memorable. Hosoda had a clear vision for this movie and I think he accomplished it beautifully. This is another great addition to his already great filmography. While I don't think it's his best work so far, it definitely lives up to the hype and doesn't fall short of the standard he has set as a creator. I can't wait to see what else his creative mind will give us.
After the big failure that was Justice League, DC really needs a big hit to keep things going and to keep the fans interested in it's movie universe. "Aquaman" has to bare a lot of that weight on it's shoulders, while also introducing viewers to the world of Aquaman and all the lore that is apart of that world. We got a brief introduction to Aquaman in Justice League and honestly he was probably the best part of that movie. Jason Momoa oozes charm and like-ability with his dude-bro version of Aquaman. But would it work if he's the lead? "Aquaman" answers that question and more.
So "Aquaman" introduces us to the story of Arthur, a half-Human and half-Atlantean. His mother a Queen from Atlantis and his father some random human who lives in a lighthouse. After the events of Justice League, Arthur is called back home to Atlantis to prevent his half-brother from uniting the different armies of the ocean and attacking the humans on earth. Oh, and there's also a crazy soldier who calls himself Black Manta who is seeking revenge against Aquaman for events that happen early in the movie. Arthur teams up with reluctant partner Mera to find a hidden trident that will help stop Atlantis from going to war with the Humans.
This movie really could have been a great time. There was a lot keeping it from being great in my eyes though. Before that, let's talk about the good things. As you've probably heard, this movie looks awesome... and it does. The effects are pretty damn cool to look at, especially when it goes underwater into the world of Atlantis. Lots of cool colors and designs and shiny things to look at. This is one of those movies that might be worth watching in IMAX just because of these effects and visuals. The other good thing is of course Aquaman himself. He hasn't lost any of that charm from Justice League and he's easy to root for as a hero. The movie has a lot more focus on fun, like what "Suicide Squad" was trying to do... except it works a lot better in "Aquaman". Besides Aquaman though, all the other actors do a fine job with their characters. Some characters don't seem to get a lot of screen time which is a shame, but I'll get to that later. The action scenes where mostly good, though a lot of them were set up the same. The movie constantly started action scenes out of nowhere, with a jump-scare moment, which got kind of annoying. That aside, the action scenes were still mostly fun to watch and well made.
What really kept this movie from being great though was the way it tried to introduce you to the world. The movie had to keep stopping to explain the history and lore of Atlantis, with long dialog scenes that were pretty boring sometimes. There was also the problem of having two villains in one movie, which rarely works in these comic book movies. Instead of putting all of the focus on one baddie, they tried to put in two. Black Manta as a villain, barely got much screen time and it felt pretty strange. It probably would have been better to keep Black Manta away until the next movie or focus the entire movie on him.
This movie also just feels way too long at almost 2 1/2 hours. I struggled to stay interested in the story for that long, especially in the middle where the story takes a turn into an adventure movie. It made the movie feel even longer than it actually was. It didn't always use that time in a good way either. Like not focusing on certain characters enough, or using a lot of time to drop exposition. It makes sense to drop a lot of exposition in a movie introducing us to a whole new comic book world, but i'm sure there were better ways to do it.
There was a lot I liked in this movie and a lot of things I didn't like. That makes the movie fall right in the middle of how I felt about it, it was OKAY. I had enough fun that I would gladly watch a sequel and I would be excited for it, but I don't see myself coming back to this particular movie anytime soon. There's room for lots of improvement, but it was a good start to the Aquaman character. It's worth a watch if you like anything that has to do with DC and comic movies, or you just want a visually interesting action movie.
B-B-B-B-BONUS ROUND!!!!!
Speaking of visually interesting movies, here's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse! This is a new animated movie was created by Sony Pictures Animation. They don't have the best track record when it comes to animated movies, just recently making one of the worst movies in "The Emoji Movie". But when I heard that Lord and Miller were going to be the ones behind this, my excitement shot up to the heavens. These two guys are behind two of my favorite animated movies of recent memory (Sunny With a Chance of Meatballs and Lego Movie). Expectations were high, and the movie had a lot to live up to with the Spider-Man name attached to it. Especially after how great the recent Spider-Man movies have been on the Disney side of things.
I'll just say it now, Spider-Verse lives up to all the hype and surpasses it greatly. This is by far the best animated movie of the year, with pretty much nothing coming close to it (except maybe Isle of Dogs?). The animation is some of the best I've seen in a long time, and it's got a very unique style that fits the world so perfectly. Everything in this movie works so well together. The great voice cast, writing, action, animation, soundtrack and story. Everyone who worked on this movie made sure to make every detail and second of this movie entertaining and well-made. While there are a lot of characters thrown into the movie, it keeps it's focus where it's most important: Miles Morales. The other character are all great, especially Peter Parker who is much different than any other Peter Parker that has been on film. The relationship between Peter and Miles is what drives the movie and was the best part of the movie in my opinion. There's a great balance between fun/humor and emotional moments that push the story forward.
This might be one of the most flawless movies I've seen in a long time. For me, it's the best Spider-Man movie ever made, and considering how great some of the past Spider-Man movies have been in the past that's really saying something. When the filmmakers pay attention to every detail of the movie with lots of care, you get a movie like this. A movie that accomplishes all of it's goals and more.
It's been a while since an animated movie was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars... this should be the next one.
It's been a strange year for Disney. Reaching the highest highs with Black Panther and Infinity War, but falling down again and again with movies like Wrinkle in Time, Nutcracker and Solo. One thing that hasn't failed them recently though is their main animation studio, which this year brought us Ralph Breaks the Internet.
Ralph 2 is one of those movies that looked like it was going to be a letdown from the trailers. Going to the internet is an interesting concept for a sequel, but one that could easily turn the movie into more of an advertisement than a movie. The fact that Disney chose to use real life products and websites was concerning, I was worried about the movie becoming watered down by the constant use of real life products. Then I remember that the first movie also had lots of properties from the real world, but it was all video game properties and not websites. The first movie did a great job at showing lots of love to gaming with lots of references and cameos, but it still put most of its focus on its original ideas and characters. Ralph Breaks the Internet also does that same thing, but tells a completely different story. While I found the use of the internet a lot less charming than the use of video games, it didn't take away too much from the great story and humor the movie had.
The sequel follows Ralph and Vanellope right after the first movie. They are still best friends and hang out everyday after their games are shut down for the night. Things change after the arcade they live in has internet and WiFi installed, and a portal to the internet is opened in their hub. After an indecent where Vanellope is left homeless after her game breaks, they must travel to the internet to find the piece of her game that's missing before it's shut down permanently.
The story leads to a really good and not often touched upon message regarding friendship. It's what really drives the movie and keeps it going, despite some things that didn't work so well for me. Like I said before, the internet is a much less interesting location than the arcade in my opinion. Maybe it's because we already spend so much time there, that it feels less magical and whimsical than the movie tries to make it out to be. The movie has the characters interact with some real life sites like Ebay and a YouTube style site called Buzztube. The whole Buzztube part of the movie felt really... strange. It was like Disney was trying really hard to connect with all the young kids of today that watch YouTube, but also making fun of people that do at the same time? It was confusing.
What was cool to see though was Disney actually making fun of itself for once, which happens later in the movie and was sadly shown in most of the trailers. Still, it was a really great moment when Vanellope goes to the Disney part of the internet and meets the princessesesses. Moments like that and the great story between Ralph and Vanellope are what kept this movie fun and entertaining. It's not the best that Disney Animation Studios has put out in recent years, but it's another hit in a time where they keep putting out good movies. While it wasn't as good as the first, it wasn't really a disappointing movie because it kept all of the important aspects from the first movie and built upon them. The characters are still just as lovable as the first time, and by the end of this movie you'll probably love them more.
It's been a long time since I've put up anything on this blog and even longer that I've put up anything on music. Seeing as how the year is finally crashing down in all its mediocre glory, I figured I'd share my thoughts on the music scene this year. It was a strange year for music, at least in my opinion. Pop music really seemed to not go anywhere new and is sticking to the same kind of trends we saw last year, with lots of big names dropping disappointing albums. The strange thing is that those trends seemed to translate over to all music this year. Lots of albums I was super excited for and greatly anticipating fell flat and didn't live up to my expectations. Maybe it's my fault. Maybe with all the mediocre music being put out these days, I expected too much. Maybe I just wasn't looking hard enough for good music.
I still try my best to keep up with the charts and listen to the big songs of the year. I still have hope for the pop charts to bring in some great, fun and catchy tunes to my life. Sadly, we are still at a time where that isn't what is popular. It's all about the slowed down, trap beat and drowsy music. With the hot 100 year-end list out now, I went through it and picked out the songs that I remembered for being really good and really bad. So here's a list of songs that I thought were the best and the worst of the year. I didn't get a chance to listen to EVERY single song, but I've heard most of them at least once.
#10 Worst: Drake - God's Plan
Starting things off with the biggest artist of the year here (and the world at this point) Mr.Drake. Drake dropped his much-anticipated album "Scorpion" this year and destroyed the charts with multiple songs. It was a very mediocre album, but at least better than his last official album "Views", which isn't saying much. This song was the number one selling song of 2018 and it didn't have any competition. The closest thing to taking that spot was 2017's highest selling artist Ed Sheeran's team up with Beyoncé, but even that wasn't enough. This is far from Drake's worst song, which is why it's high on this list. It's still a pretty boring song with the kind of lyrics you expect from any Drake song.
#10 Best: G-Eazy - No Limit (Cardi B, A$AP Rocky)
So this song kinda sucks... but I've listened to more times than I care to admit. I still wonder what keeps bringing me back to this song. Is it the beat? the cheesy outdated lyrics? G-Eazy lying about how much sex he's having? I don't know. It all works together to make a wonderfully cheesy song that is so bad is good. Add Cardi B throwing out super dated Jared from Subway line and you got a keeper.
#9 Worst: Tyga - Taste (Offset)
It's always a sad day to see Tyga still has a career in music. With some of the worst lyrics in the game and a personality that is non-existent, Tyga always surprises me. Surprises me that someone with this little talent still finds ways to stay relevant. In this song, Tyga spews his usual overly sexual lyrics with no real energy and a boring beat to match. Thankfully this song features Offset, who adds nothing to the song, but at least gives me a break from having to listen to Tyga pretend to be an artist.
#9 Best: Drake - Nice for What
Wait, what is this? A Drake song in the best list? No that's gotta be a typo. Nope. This is actually a really good song by Drake, which is crazy for me to say. It's felt like a long time since Drake actually released a song that I really enjoyed, but this is actually very good. It's got a good energy to keep the song going, along with better lyrics from Drake. The background vocals that run throughout the entire song work really well with the flow of the song and never get annoying. The video is also good if you ever get a chance to watch it. The lyrics/video actually feel like they have some meaning behind it and don't just feel like Drake complaining about his haters like his songs usually seem to go.
#8 Worst: Tekashi69 - FEFE (Nicki Minaj)
Oh look, another lazy song about sex on the charts. The team-up of Tekashi69 and Nicki is a strange one, and it doesn't really work too well. It's kind of like Beyoncé and Sheeran, where one is clearly way out of the others league. In this case though, it's the woman (Nicki) who is out of the guys league. Nicki seems to just put her name on anything these days without a care of how it will affect her career. That's how you build a catalog of bad music, by putting your vocals on literally anyone who asks you nicely. It sucks because I think Nicki has WAY more talent then she often shows, and working with mediocre artists like Tekashi69 doesn't help her at all. This is just a bad song, with bad music and lyrics that will be forgotten in a year or less.
#8 Best: Migos - Stir Fry
Man, this song is catchy as hell. The awesome beat and music with the great flow from Migos. It all works together so well, and it's a joy to listen to. When I found out that Pharrell was the one who produced this song it all made so much sense. He's always had a special way with music and his talent shows here. Taking artists that I've never been too interested in and helping them come out with songs like this one. I can't get over how awesome the beat on this song is. If only Pharrell could make all the pop songs on the charts. Really, what we need is producers like Pharrell who bring out the best in artists and really showcase their talent. When you put good music behind a good artist it makes good music, go figure.
#7 Worst: Camila Cabello - Havana
I guess TECHNICALLY this song isn't worst than "FEFE", but I did hear it at least 100 times for than "FEFE" so there's that. There's also the fact that the song has a verse by one of the worst rappers around in Young Thug. This is a song that gets a little worse with every listen and its flaws become easier to spot with multiple listens. Repetitive music, boring lyrics and not much personality from Cabello. It's a song that feels like any other artist could have done and it would have been just as popular.
#7 Best: Ariana Grande - no tears left to cry
Someone who DOES have personality is Ariana Grande. Here she brings a nice uplifting song as her first single from her new album that dropped this year. It was meant to uplift herself and others around her after a tough year she had. It works well as an uplifting song, helped a lot by Ariana's great vocals and decent music to go along with it. This song is in a lot of ways the opposite of Havana, in that every listen helps the song instead of hurt its quality. Plus it has all the personality that Havana wishes it could have. It's not Ariana's best work, but the meaning behind the song and the talent involved make it an above average song.
#6 Worst: Bebe Rexha/Florida Georgia Line - Meant to Be
On the subject of no personality, here is "meant to be" by three cardboard cutouts that kind of resemble humans. A song that was written by robots who don't understand human emotion or how to tell a story. Keep things as vague as possible in the hopes that it will get a bigger audience since anyone can relate to it. Keep singing clichés over and over again and call it a song. Add a vaguely hip-hop beat so that all the young people will like it. Make millions of dollars. Repeat. It just feels like one of those songs that was created specifically to be a huge hit. Not that every song that was created to be a hit is bad, but this one is just really lazy and obvious about it. There's nothing that makes this song stand out in any way or make it worth coming back to.
#6 Best: Sza / Kendrick - All The Stars
This is what a team-up should be like! The super talented Sza and Kendrick Lamar teamed up with each other to create a great song to be a part of the also great Black Panther movie. An amazingly catchy chorus alongside some great verses by Kendrick and Sza. Pretty nice of Disney to let Kendrick drop some f**ks in the verse for their Black Panther song, kids are gonna love that. Kidding aside, this song works in every way from beginning to end and is one of the best movie tie-in songs I've heard in a while. Sadly it's chances to win an Oscar were probably killed the day "A Star is Born" came out... damn you Lady Gaga and your beautiful voice.
#5 Wost: Imagine Dragons - Believer
First things first: this band is awful. Second things second: this song is awful. Third things third: I can't remember. Just like how this band can't remember how to make good music.
#5 Best: Marshmello / Bastille - Happier
It was a huge surprise to see Bastille back in the charts this year, I thought they were done after "Pompeii" a few years ago. Though this isn't exactly a traditional Bastille song as it's more of a Marshmello project with Bastille vocals. Still, I enjoy this style of music as it's one of the few styles that I can really get behind in the pop charts (as you'll see in the rest of my list). The music is good and I'm really happy to hear Bastille's vocals again on the radio/charts. Lyrically it's not breaking new ground, but it takes the idea of a breakup and puts a little more of a positive spin on it.
#4 Worst: J Balvin / Willy William? - Mi Gente (Beyoncé)
Probably the most annoying song of the year. Super loud and obnoxious, with music that will give you a headache. Beyoncé tries her hand in Latin(?) music but picks the worst song to do that with. I honestly can't even listen to this whole song, because of how annoying the music is. The vocals aren't much better anyway, Beyoncé isn't doing anything to really add to the song except having her name attached to it which will probably bring in listeners. The other two guys are just as annoying as the music.
#4 Best: Marshmello / Anne-Marie - FRIENDS
Anne-Marie is my favorite pop artist of the year, sadly this was the only song that charted high this year from her. It's one of my least favorite of hers, but still better than most other pop songs of the year. There's something about her personality and vocals that I really like. Her music is a lot of fun to listen to and she clearly has A LOT of talent. She also has good music to back up her vocal talent, so that is a big help. "FRIENDS" is a great pop song that tackles an interesting subject that I'm sure many people can relate to, especially in 2018. If you're looking for a great pop album to listen to, go check out Anne-Marie's debut album.
#3 Worst: Lil Pump - Gucci Gang
I almost didn't put this song on the list since I thought it was a little bit too easy. Everyone hates this song...or at least that's what I thought. If that were true then this song never would have charted as high as it did. I still don't know if this song is a joke. Is it supposed to be bad? I can't believe that it would be that self-aware though. It's not clever in that way. It's just a lazy song that for some reason people really caught on to. It's music like this that makes me feel old and out of touch.
#3 Best: Dua Lipa - New Rules
This song really came out of nowhere this year (or last year). Every now and then the charts bring in a song like this. A song that takes you by surprise in a good way. A song that deserves all the attention that it's getting. A song that lives up to the hype. A song that feels new and exciting and brings hope to the idea that good new artists can still get attention on the charts. This song is the perfect introduction to Dua Lipa, even though I can't say I'm a huge fan, I can say that this song made me want more of her. That's what a single is supposed to do. It's supposed to make you want to hear the rest of the album, and a song like this works amazingly for that.
and that moment right before the chorus kick in is amazing.
#2 Worst: Imagine Dragons - Thunder
It's amazing to think what qualifies as rock these days. Currently, the two biggest rock artists in the US aren't even rock artists (Panic at the Disco and Imagine Dragons). This isn't good rock music and it's not even good pop music. It's emotionless and boring music that lacks any real emotion or energy. This from the band that made one of the most uniquely awesome songs in "Radioactive". The worst songs to me are the ones by artists that I used to actually like, but feel like they aren't trying anymore. I'm totally okay with Imagine Dragons not being so much a rock band anymore, but I want them to make music that actually feels like it has some work behind it.
#2 Best: Childish Gambino - This is America
Donald Glover might be the most talented/creative human living on earth right now. Everything he touches is GOLD. I wasn't expecting to hear more from his Childish Gambino project this year, so this song was a huge surprise. A very topical song and one that feels like it belongs in 2018 more than ever. It's always nice to hear a song that charts be more than just about sex/drugs/sex/money/sex. Even better when the song actually has a speaks about important topics. The song also has great music to back up the lyrics, making it that much better.
THE WORST! Maroon 5 - Girls Like You (Cardi B)
I don't know how they manage to pull it off. How they can keep somehow getting worse with every new release. It's like setting fire to a pile of ashes at this point with Maroon 5. Adam Levine and friends don't even feel like they trying anymore. For a band with six members, this feels so incredibly empty. There are bands with three members that make more full-sounding songs than this. This is just so incredibly boring and lifeless. It's got a terrible hook and it's not even catchy like most Maroon 5 songs. This song has no redeeming qualities at all. Even Cardi B couldn't bring anything to this song. I just need Maroon 5 to go away now. PLEASE. This was one of the most successful songs of the year, so Maroon 5 really have no reason to do anything better.
THE BEST! Zedd - The Middle
There are so many little details in this song that work. From the ticking effects, synth beats to the vocals, bass, and production it all works super well. It's not only insanely catchy, but it has a lot of details in the music to put it above any average song. Zedd and Grey work very well together to make a song really tight in its music. Nothing feels out of place, it all feels deliberate and that really makes it stand out. This really shows that you don't have to sacrifice detail in order to have a great and successful pop song in the charts. It's everything that I look for in a pop song, that's why it was my favorite of the year. To think I hated this song at one point...
Well, that's the end of my list. Feel free to share your thoughts and send me some good pop songs.
This last weekend saw the latest Marvel movie release in Venom. Completely separated from the Disney owned Marvel Studios and Spider-Man Homecoming series. In fact, Spider-Man is nowhere to be seen in this movie or any future Venom project if there is one. I think going into this movie most people were aware that Spider-Man wasn't going to factor into this movie, but in case you didn't know, now you do. This movie follows Eddie Brock played by Tom Hardy who is a journalist in SanFran trying to find his next big story. That story comes along when a giant corporation near San Francisco called the Life Foundation, a company that's trying to make the world a "better place" through science and space exploration, has a huge incident. The incident involving a spacecraft crashing into the earth from space with new mysterious life forms. These life forms are called Symbiotes, and Eddie's search to find out all the dirty secrets of Life Foundation lead him to form a bond with the Symbiote known as Venom, changing his life forever and giving him more power than any average person could ever have.
This movie is kind of a mess. It's not the prettiest movie to look at, lots of CG filled action scenes that aren't very compelling a lot of the time. The story is mostly fine, but I found myself not caring about most of the characters since most aren't really given much time to grow or develop except Eddie Brock. The villain was pretty forgettable too, even though I kind of enjoyed what the actor Riz Ahmed was doing with the role, it felt like most comic book movie villains (that is to say he was forgettable). His motivations didn't always make complete sense, but it was enough to keep the story going. The story is all to set up Eddie Brock and Venom's relationship and how they become the team Spider-Man fans know them to be. I think it gets that part right, which is the most important thing in this movie. While everything around that might not work, the focus of Venom's powers and personality and how they affect Brock does work. Tom Hardy has good chemistry with himself as both characters, which I think was a good choice to have him play both Venom and Brock.
Most of the cast did an okay job with their roles, nothing stood out as terrible or great. That is except Tom Hardy, who was the only part of this movie that felt truly interesting. Eddie Brock and Venom's relationship was the best part of this movie and it was actually done pretty well. Tom Hardy did a good job at playing this strange character who's hearing voices inside his head by making it fun and not taking it seriously. There were some good moments of humor between Eddie Brock and Venom that really helped take this mediocre movie and make it a lot more watchable. Without Tom Hardy, I don't think this movie would have been any good. He carries this movie on his shoulders and does enough with the material to keep it interesting when it could have been and maybe should have been a lot worse.
I don't see myself returning to this movie anytime soon though, but I do think that there's room for a sequel. As long as Tom Hardy comes back and they work on the humor, action, villains, and side characters there could be something good here. This movie didn't really do much for me, which is disappointing when you look at all the potential it had. It was an okay movie with one standout performance that was just enough to keep it from being bad. At a time where Marvel comic book movies keep getting better and better, this one just doesn't live up to that standard. It might not be completely fair to compare it to a Marvel Studios film, but it's hard not to when they've set the bar so high. Hopefully Tom Hardy gets a second chance at Venom in the future because I'd like to see what other stories they can do with him. They just need to work out the other problems the film had (action scenes, villain, storytelling).
