June 2018 Movie Reviews

Solo: A Star Wars Story

2 1/2 stars

It’s pretty hard for me not to be excited about a Star Wars movie, but this movie was very, very average. I didn’t have super high hopes for this film after hearing about the troubles on set, but the preview made it look like a fun Ocean’s 11-style heist movie with some familiar characters. The problem is there isn’t enough heisting and it’s not that fun. The heists seemed a bit bland, no overly complex plans or decoy switcheroos. They seemed too easy. And the action sequences were pretty forgettable. Even if you didn’t like the Last Jedi, it had spectacular action beats. The millennium falcon chase through the crystal salt mines in TLJ in particular stood out to me. But in this, the chase scenes are almost uneventful and straightforward. All the actors are fine, Donald Glover is stand out for me, but I didn’t find any of them particularly funny or engaging. Overall the movie is fine, but pretty disappointing for a STAR WAR. Hopefully Episode 9 or the boba fett movie is a step up from this.

 

Upgrade

3 1/2 stars

A low budget action sci-fi movie that exceeds expectations. From the trailer, I thought the movie looked cheap and generic, but the actual film really delivers with visceral action sequences and clever plot devices. The main actor, Logan Marshall-Green, is terrific at looking horrified and disconnected with his AI controlled body. I would compare his movements with Peter Weller from Robocop. The plot isn't overly complex or deep but if your looking for some "Raid" style action with future sci-fi elements, this movie checks all the boxes.

Incredibles 2

4 stars

The first Incredibles is one of my all-time favorite movies, and this is a pretty great follow-up. It captures the family dynamic while adding in some new struggles. The plot is pretty similar to the first one, but all the action scenes were fantastic. I loved the clever use of all the different superpowers, and even though we've had so many superhero movies come out this year, this still felt fresh to me.

Tag

2 stars

It's fine? Not a great comedy with a silly premise and probably the best jokes are in the trailer. I liked Isla Fisher as the wife that takes the game too seriously but the rest of the comedic actors are funny but had very few laugh out loud parts. And I'm not sure if Jeremy Renner has the chops for comedy, most of his "jokes" were that he's so good at everything.

You Were Never Really Here

1 star

Not a fan of this film. The movie felt long even though it's run time is only 89 minutes. And even though not that much happened in the movie, I had trouble following the little that did happen. It had some interesting editing techniques but overall not my cup of tea.

First Reformed

2 1/2 stars

hmmm... Well the first half of this film I was pretty sold on. Despite it being slow and sparse, I thought it had some really great commentary on Christian culture and theology along with our responsibility to the environment and stewardship of the world. The movie deals with some pretty dark issues and has some solid answers to them. And then the movie takes a turn from dark to darker, and the waters get murkier and murkier, and you're not sure where the movie is heading. And then it takes you straight into a dead end. And you're not sure what to make of that. Anyway, that's what happened to me, along with the other matinee viewers in the theatre with me. I thought the film did have some great moments and dealt with complex ideas of religion and despair, but ultimately left me a little frustrated.