August 2018 Movie Reviews
August 2018
Mission Impossible: Fallout
4 ½ stars
It’s pretty remarkable that this 22-year running franchise
is this strong. This film has everything a good spy film needs: gadgets,
death-defying stunts, car chases, plot twists, betrayals, face masks, wacky
side characters, and more. Doesn’t matter if you didn’t see or remember the
other 5 Mission Impossibles, pretty much all these movies standalone. This one
ties in with last one a little more than the past movies, but you can go in
blind and have a great time. Henry Cavill is a welcome addition and all the
action sequences are top notch.
Skyscraper
3 stars
It’s like Die Hard, but with the “Rock,” and he’s an
amputee. Yeah, that pretty much nails it. But the action is solid, the “Rock”
is likable and feels vulnerable unlike some of his other films. Overall a
pretty fun time, with some ridiculous over-explaining and silly scenarios.
8th Grade
3 ½ stars
I felt anxious through most of this film. I think Bo Burnham
captured this subtle anxiety that all young people born in the smartphone age
feel constantly. Kind of like a constant FOMO (fear of missing out). I think
Burnham painted a pretty accurate picture of what middle school is like, with
maybe some exaggeration. This school’s phone policy was clearly out of control.
And not all middle and high school boys are total jerks, but there those like
the ones portrayed in the film. The dad is also a bit of a dopey character but
he has a really great scene towards the end that I think mostly makes up for
it. Overall the movie was slower than I thought it would be with less overt
conflict (I was expecting something more like Juno). But the lead seamed honest
with her portrayal and I think it captures some important challenges this new
generation struggles with.
The Meg
2 ½ stars
Statham vs. Mega-shark. Two go into the water, only one
comes out. Well I guess that doesn’t work because why would a shark come out of
the water? This movie was exactly what you would expect. A giant shark eating
people, lots of fake outs and jump scares. I was a little disappointed that the
Megaladon didn’t have a more interesting design. I mean it looks good, but it
looks like you just took a generic great white and made it bigger. I’m assuming
that’s what they probably would look like in real life, but I thought they
could have given it some interesting distinguishing features. The movie has
some pretty funny beach scenes and the interactions between Statham and the
little girl are enjoyeable. The expert team of diving scientists makes some
illogical decisions and the movie could have used a little more shark beach
time (I guess it couldn’t eat too many people with a PG-13 rating) but a
totally acceptable mindless popcorn movie.
Alpha
2 stars
I like the idea of a story of cavemen developing these deep
relationships with wolves, in a barren world where they are completely
dependent on each other. I honestly think there’s a great survivor story in
there. But this isn’t it. I think they should have made a choice: fun,
family-friendly adventure or gritty, harsh story of survival. They kind of hit
in between those two and I don’t think it worked. The movie has some
interesting visuals (very Terrance Malik like with still shots of landscapes)
but I found the story pretty dull and slow. The CGI animals and backdrops are
decent besides a few shots. Overall not bad, just kind of boring.
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