Category Archives: Movie Reviews

The Benchwarmers

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This movie has always been on my watch list,  but I never got the chance to watch it until recently when I saw it on Netflix.  I’ve heard stories about how it’s a mix between the Sandlot and Napoleon Dynamite, and honesty I can’t think of a better combo.

Summary-

The Benchwarmers is basically about three nerdy, unathletic men, who never got the chance to play sports when they were little, making up for the lost time by playing baseball against little kids.  They end up entering in a tournament sponsored by a billionaire and gain the support from around the world with their success

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Rating-

The production of the movie is questionable at some points, but honestly it doesn’t matter.  The Benchwarmers is a comedy after and was meant to be taken lightheartedly.  Also, the ending gives a good message.  I’d give this movie a solid stale rating

Captain Marvel

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Captain Marvel is Marvel’s latest release and the last movie before the highly anticipated Avengers: Endgame.  Since Captain Marvel played a big role in the end credits of the last Avenger movie, there was no doubt that she would need a proper introduction before April 26th.

Summary

With her memory wiped from a plane crash, Captain Marvel is a Kree warrior who is caught in an intergalactic battle between her people and the Skrulls.  She fails one of her missions and is forced to flee to Earth where she meets Nick Fury, a SHIELD agent who wants to someday make a task force of superheroes to fight evil.  Together they attempt to dig up Captain Marvel’s past and they quickly realize what they’re fighting for isn’t as clear cut as they hoped.

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Rating

In all I’d give this movie a frozen rating.  This movie wasn’t the worst, but definitely not the best film Marvel has ever made.  Their are some glaring problems with the plot with the worst offender being Captain Marvel’s reason to unleash her full, Superman-like powers.  One explanation could be the relatively small window of time Marvel had to release this movie because of Captain Marvel’s teased involvement in Endgame.  I hope that the hero can redeem herself in the last Avengers movie.

Good Will Hunting- A Film Classic

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My dad introduced me to this Good Will Hunting recently and I have to say I really enjoyed it.  I feel like we always dedicate are attention to mainstream Netflix originals, and although some of them are good they don’t have the same impact on me like the classics.

Summary

Good Will Hunting is about an extremely smart self taught teenager named Will Hunting that always dreamed of becoming a mathematician.  However, his poor background prevents him from going to college, and the furthest he ever gets to his dream is by working as a janitor at MIT.  One day he finally is recognized for his intellect by solving a math problem that none of the students could answer.  Although he reaches his dream, Will quickly realizes the fame is not for him and descends into depression.  It is up to his close friends and therapist Sean Maguire to pull him out.

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Rating

Good Will Hunting is everything you could want in a movie.  It is funny, sad, and has a good message about life at the same time.  Therefore, I’m giving this movie a fresh rating.  Also Robin William’s performance as Sean Maguire was so good that he won an Oscar.

The Stanford Prison Experiment

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Based off a real experiment that was conducted by Stanford University in 1971, this movie has a powerful message to share about human nature.

Summary

A psychology professor at Stanford named Philip Zimbardo wanted to investigate the social effects of power so he created a mock prison out of the college dorms and recruited a group of students to act as prisoners and guards.  Like any jail, the prisoners were complete subjects of the guards’ will.  With their new found power, the guards starting abusing the prisoners until they had no choice but to retaliate.  The condition of the prison got so real that the experiment had to be called off

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Rating

I’d give this movie a fresh rating because it was incredibly intriguing to watch.  It’s crazy to see how much a coin flip affected the way the college students ended up acting.  I totally recommend this movie especially since it’s on Netflix right now!

Bird Box- The Movie that Went Viral

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Bird Box has taken the internet by storm these past couple of weeks.  I’ve seen mentions of it from my Instagram feed to Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show so naturally I felt inclined to check it out over Winter Break.

Summary- 

Bird Box is a story about Malery, an extremely introverted artist that forces herself to become a leader when a mysterious force arrives in the US that compels people to kill themselves when they look at it.  After being fortunate enough to survive the initial impact of the monster, she learns of a safe haven just down the river of where she living.  In the interest of survival, she wants to go to this rumored place.  The only problem is she has two children and they all have to be blindfolded to protect themselves from the monster.

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Rating- 

Overall, I’d give this movie a mashed rating.  Before you hate on me, I genuinely liked the concept of the movie.  I really enjoy watching movies that try to theorize the inevitable end of our world, and I did not see a suicide monster being one.  The biggest complaint I have about this movie is the way they structured it.  The directors chose a Megamind storytelling approach and showed bits and pieces of the end of the movie as exposition.  Little did they know they were spoiling the rest of the movie because we know exactly what happens to all the side characters introduced during the movie; they die.  Once I realized this, it greatly took away from my viewing experience.

 

Aquaman- Black Panther Underwater

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I watched Aquaman opening night with low expectations.  Before this movie, it was really hard to like DC.  Movies like Justice League and Batman vs. Superman just didn’t do it for me.  I’m happy to report though that Aquaman is worth your time.

Summary-

Aquaman is about Arthur and his journey to claim his rightful spot as King of Atlantis.  He faces adversity along the way in the form of his half brother, and decides the only way to become king is by getting the Trident of Neptune.

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Conclusion and Rating-

Honestly I feel bad for this movie.  I love Jason Momoa and think he is really steering the DC movies in the right direction.  However, Marvel beat them to the punch with the whole “king rises to the throne plot” which makes Aquaman feel like a Black Panther gimmick.  I’d give this movie a stale rating. It’s definitely one of the better DC movies and I’m excited what DC has in store for the future.

Coco- Another Pixar Masterpiece

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In honor of Dia de los Muertos and the snow day, I decided to watch Pixar’s Coco on Netflix.  Going into this movie, I had low expectations.  I thought it was going to be too childish for my taste.  Just like the rest of Pixar classics, this movie defies age.  It can appeal and even force a tear out of everyone.

Summary

Coco is a story about Miguel and his struggle to become a musician during the Day of the Dead holiday.  Things quickly go south when Miguel decides to steal the guitar from the beloved musician Ernesto de la Cruz.  As soon as he plucks the strings, he phases to the Undead World.  Miguel’s mission suddenly changes.  He needs to find an ancestor’s blessing before sun rises and he gets trapped among the dead.

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Rating

Overall, I’m giving this movie a fresh rating.  Part of why I love this movie so much is how Spanish culture assimilated into the movie.  It’s not done in an offensive or stereotypical way, but as a means to educate people on the holiday.  Since we live in such a diverse country, I think it’s important that we learn about and accept our differences.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi- 1 Step Forward for the Universe

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Episode 8 of Star Wars was definitely revolutionary, but was it what all Star Wars Fans wanted?

The Good

The movie did 2 things that this movie nailed

1). Appealing to old Star Wars Fans- They brought back Luke Skywalker as a mentor figure and Yoda as a ghost.  Do I need to say more?

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2). Using new cinematic technology- The scene towards the end over the movie where the rebel ship jumps into lightspeed and crashes into the empire command ship is an absolute masterpiece of screenplay.  It never fails to send chills down my spine.Image result for light speed crash in the last jedi

The Bad

I think this movie wanted to be innovative and as a result had a lot of issues.

1). The Leia Flying through Space Scene- Prior to The Last Jedi, we had never seen Leia use the force.  However, that doesn’t explain the fact she was able to survive the vacuum of space without a spacesuit.

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2). Death of Snoke- This scene definitely surprised people in the audience, but I think it was a cheap way to turn some heads.  The character was undeveloped.  By killing him, Disney lost out on a lot of story potential.

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3). James Corden- Look, I know he is a super well known figure and Star Wars fan, but does that really justify him getting screen time?  I feel like sticking him into a movie series with such a rich history undermines the gravity of this type of movie.

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The Rating

Overall, I would give this movie a fresh rating.  I think people like to bash on this movie because it is different from the original Star Wars trilogy.  If people can learn look past that, they’ll finally see the good in the movie.

 

 

 

The Rotten Potatoes

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Movies are one of the best mediums to share stories, experiences, and ideas.  Join me as I expose the ups and fatal flaws of trending films.  (Spoiler Alert)

The Rating System

Rotten– A movie that is actually unbearable to watch.  Imagine the condition of the potatoes during the famine in Ireland; not pleasant

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Mashed–  This rating pertains to a movie that had a good concept, but wasn’t able to live up to the hype.

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Stale– Neither an groundbreaking movie nor a terrible one.  It’s like that one potato that is neglected in the freezer, but is always there for you when you don’t have anything else to eat.

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Fresh– Every starch lovers dream.  A movie that receives this rating has fantastic plot that can be enjoyed time and time again

Image result for fresh french fries