Ethan Hunt Review's Y7

[Ethan Hunt]

Autobots roll out

[4815162342]

Let the Games Begin

[Ethan Hunt]

January

 

 

Vixen and the Flaming Feather- A cool fantasy animation that is sure to wow the kiddo’s. The parents may find it abit slight but some neat worldbuilding makes it a neat kids intro to fantasy- 3/5 

 

Father Knows Worst- Well. It’s another Tyler Perry movie. The kids make this one a bit enjoyable as the film is able to uncynically look at the promises of youth. Still it doesn’t work great as a comedy- 2/5 

 

Hypercompetency- Slick! Lana Wachowski finds herself once again giving the world a dose of inventive action. The use of HFR in this film creates some of the most exhilarating action sequences that we will see all year. One sequence in the second act is sure to be discussed for years and years to come. A film totally unafraid to throw a plethora of sci-fi weapons at you takes it’s wins in being maybe the coolest movie that you’ll see all year.- 4.5/5

 

Finders Keepers- What starts as a sly little uncomfortable comedy, turns it a bit dull as the film expands it’s timescale and leaves the initial incidents and tries to find new ways to create chaos and pad the runtime- 2.5/5

 

Outside the Law- I crime drama that is able to entertain but be somewhat muddled in its focus, leaving some of the most interesting elements at play only in the background. - 2/5

[Blankments]

 

thank you Ethan!!

[Ethan Hunt]

February 

 

 

Broadway Selects: Burn This- Broadway Selects continue to be solid- 3/5

 

Carver- A pretty dry and basic biopic.- 1.5/5

 

Love After Loving: What starts as a fun enough trashy relationship thriller that would be a perfectly good catch on netflix and cuddle move… turns into something not particularly enjoyable even in the pulp trash sense by the end- 1.5/5

 

Starlight- It’s a fun enough space adventure with some cool visual moments to keep it entertaining. The film does feel a bit too sporadic to truly gain the momentum really needed to hit home.- 3/5

 

Plastic Man- Frankly, not a fan. I’m sure it will be a pleasantly undemanding superhero origin story for many but it doesn’t stand strong for me. Almost all of the humor fails to do much relying on cute winks and self referential ploys to get giggles. Woozy and Plastic Man are an unlikable duo who seem to bring out the worst in eachother. And Anna Kendrick gets stuck in a relatively boring love interest role. All that said the film is light and doesn’t take itself seriously enough for me to get too riled up and give it more than a passing shrug of thought- 2/5 

 

Conventionally Wiser- Is this sequel really wiser? Well no. Is it as good as the first? Eh probably not. The film does provide a few good laughs and Kate Mara is a welcome addition to the franchise, but this film just feels smaller and less consequential than its predecessor- 2.5/5

 

[Ethan Hunt]

 

 

In the Doghouse- What has Fincher come up with after a 5 year hiatus? A solidly crafted dark thriller that sets its eyes on tearing apart the surfaces of what makes a family and what keeps it together. A superbly acted joint across the board with highlights coming from David Harbour and Daniela Ruah as the parents. The film does take a bit of a tumble in the pacing category. Feels as if maybe the movie is moving too fast at times to really build the tension that it desires. Certain characters and parts of the story could have seen further fleshing out as well. Still a film that’s impressive technical paralysis and superb filmmaking behind the camera will provide some thrills even if it is not Fincher’s best work -3.5/5

 

Dazzling- Cardi B puts on a pretty rad show- 3/5

 

Higher Ground- A surprising horror disaster film. The disaster may be what triggers the film but the film is intent on digging into long lasting damage of not just natural disaster. A film that leaves a lot to be unpacked as it is not in the slightest into the idea of clearly laying out what the film is about. A film that may not truly get a proper build of tension or lay everything on the table as a clearly cohesive set of ideas. But perhaps that comes from being a truly ambitos piece that might just have too many balls in the air. An effective rumination on trauma be it from natural disaster or something else- 4/5 

 

Pillars of Eternity: An Ancient Legacy- I revisited the first two Pillars movies before I came to this one. I found that while the first movie somewhat feels like an extended prologue for the next two films it does introduce some interesting characters. And the second film was a notable step up yet still I don’t think even in my revisit I was as high on the films as many other critics were. And this one? I think it’s comparable to the second movie in terms of quality for the most part. There’s interesting content in here but I can’t help but feel like some of it drags out over the nearly 3 hour runtime. My favorite part of this movie is honestly the flashbacks. That to me feels like the most raw emotional part of the story. I did like some of the reveals that came with the ultimate conclusion and think that it is a rewarding ending. I just kinda wish there was an easier way to get there at times- 3.5/5 

 

Hoops 3- As amusing as it is to see Giannis play basically Giannis, but not name Giannis, this is just another hoops movie. -1.5/5

 

The Last Fifer: Portrait of a Clarinetist- A well made documentary, be it not one that leaves you with a super burning interesting or memorable subject- 3/5 

 

Beyblade: The War Unleashed- Let Them Rip- Big fun baby. A delirious blockbuster experience that demands to be seen on the big screen. It may not have a effervescent place in your long term memory but you’re sure to have fun in the moment- 3.5/5

[Ethan Hunt]

April

 

 

Father II: The Resurrection- kinda wish it was goofier- 1.5/5

 

Hilda and the Midnight Giant- This is a fine kids film. Unfortunately I don’t think I’m able to take much away from it other than that. Don’t get me wrong it is pleasant and breezy but I never found myself really getting invested in the journey. I personally found a few of the quirky side characters to be kind of annoying (mainly weird stick dude with the books). I’m sure fans of the source material and families will get some decent mileage out of this but for me it’s a film that doesn’t really do anything wrong other that I just can’t find love for it- ⅗

 

Snow Leopards- cute!- 3/5 

 

Vengeance- it’s a fine enough procedural. Neeson is fun in the role. Nothing too substantial- 2.5/5 

 

Looping- Really rad little movie. The ending is a legitimate rush of excitement of putting the pieces together. Incredibly sweet, funny and emotional.- 5/5

 

Monster Bug  Wars- When bugs fight it’s a cool visual experience. When people get involved I kinda doze off- 2.5/5 

 

I’ll Always Be There- This is giving me Life Itself flashbacks- 1.5/5

 

Whoopsie Daisy- it’s kind of a cute comedy. Kind of overstays its welcome and has some cringy  moments but it’s not terrible- 2/5

Edited April 30, 2020 by Ethan Hunt

[Ethan Hunt]

Okay, I've decided that I'm going to up my Looping grade to 5/5

[Ethan Hunt]

May

 

 

Sir Thymes Time 2- A step up over its predecessor in my opinion. Big in the fun department finding nifty ways to look into the ever changing ways that people consume music. Jeff Bridges as Piano Man is a delightful addition here. Sure to be a big hit in the family market- 3.5/5 

 

Cruis’n USA- Cool sexy slick cars- 3/5 

 

Fatal Attraction- An entertaining foray into the dangers of male entitlement. The two central performances by Gyllenhaal and McAvoy really bolster the film providing a film that succeeded both as a campy thriller and as insightful commentary- 4/5

 

Flying High- Owl City?... eck- 1.5/5

 

Call of Duty: The Eye of the Storm- While Greengrass’s sensibilities for directing quality action may translate to this franchise his ability to create very human and personal stories seems to be missing- 2.5/5

[Ethan Hunt]

 

June

 

Adam+Cindy- A bit sad for what I was hoping was an uplifting dog movie- 2/5 

 

The Final Cut- A gruesome horror film about the ways you must adhere to the system when you’re trying to break into an industry. Kelly Marie Tran delivers an excellent performance here. -3.5/5 

 

Yang- a bleary fever dream. A fun mystery beautifully filmed in dazzling color. The ending doesn’t quite work for me and the film explains far more of what is happening than I would really like it to.-3/5.

 

The Scavenger Wars Part III- The third installment in one of the premier franchises in the last 10 years hits this June. Living up to the miraculous sci-fi mystery thriller that directly precedes this installment was always going to be a sizable task. I would say there is about an hour’s worth of this film that is exhilarating blockbuster cinema. A sequence of events of running around building tension and action taking place that is maybe not our final confrontation but it is all leading towards it. That’s not to say that the other portions of this film are bad. The film opens with an exciting sequence before moving into full set up mode. Some facets of this half of the story provide good character work while other facets are not quite as exhilarating. And that’s not to say this half of the movie needs more action. If anything I think the one setpiece that occurs post opening sequence but pre-second half baganza is actually perhaps the most aggravating sequence in the film. And the final conclusion of this movie, following up ramping up action and tension in exhilarating sequences, is ultimately a letdown. The crew fights a villain that is never really given the chance to feel all that threatening as the film leans heavily into schmaltziness and heavy CGI. There are some definite MVP’s in this movie. Sasha Lane is given the most interesting role in the movie. Providing a charismatic and vulnerable turn as Sal as she tries to come to grip with her own actions. Ben Foster as Jarek , who takes a turn from cunning to absolutly pitiful in this movie, is a blast and a scene stealer and provides a great sense of wicked humor. Ultimately this is a big messy swing for the fences that does a lot of exciting things. Despite falling short in some places it’s another entertaining trip to the world.- 3.5/5

 

Dear Evan Hanson- An adaption of a popular musical hit theatres and I can see why this one is so well liked. This adaptation is well acted across the board especially form Lucas Hedges and Amy Adams. While there is plenty of criticism to be had for Evan Hansom himself, I think this film bravely acknowledges that and still dares you to consider that he deserves your sympathy anyways. I cried at this movie.-  4.5/5 

 

Should You Imagine- The sequel to the best picture nominated smash hit arrives…. And unfortunately it provides a huge abundance of the same to the level of being annoying.- 1.5/5 

 

Hearts on Fire- A decent enough action thriller that totally glosses over some things and is totally intent to get in and get out- 2.5/5

[Ethan Hunt]

 

The Exchange- A comedy not necessarily big on laughs but some heart- 2.5/5 

 

Out on the Lake- A horror film where unlikable douchbags die 1.5/5 

 

Scooby Doo: The Cult of Creepers- I must admit that a musical is a fun way to continue this franchise, even if  the second song doesn’t show up until a ways into the movie almost making it hard to identify as a musical until that point. Ethan Hawke is a fun newcomer here. My feelings on horny sccoby doo movies is still kinda mixed (as clever as I think pairing Daphne with Shaggy instead of Fred is) - 3/5

 

Scout's Honor- A loose kids film that sees some fun gags but not much beyond that- 2.5/5 

 

Attack on Titan- whew. Okay ultimately the biggest problems that this movie faces come in the structure. We go through some character introductions and get the first titan sequence of the movie. Which was fine. Then we have some school training stuff that’s honestly a little shaky.

 

And then…. The movie explodes into another beast entirely. As the film swings into a long lasting battle this film reaches levels of near transcendence.  Raw. Emotional. Gripping. An intense emotional experience that leaves me wishing…. We could cut the first half of the film. Now I know there is important information in the first part of the film. But I feel like the information could be shared much quicker through flashback spliced throughout a battle as it stretches the entire film, I think it would’ve allowed a lot of our characters to have more likable introductions (particularly Eren who comes off not great during some of the early film) IDK maybe I’m fever dreaming here. I just think it would’ve allowed a cutdown on runtime while an increase on the emotional intensity and vastness of this occurrence. All this Ethan mumbleing aside this movie reaches some of the highest highs that we’ll see all year despite it’s flaws and as such I’m going to give it - 4.5/5

[Ethan Hunt]

August

 

 

Leana and the Featherweights- A pretty slight animation that may only really appeal to younger children as the film makes insane jumps without explaining things… (why exactly is she running from the authorities - 1.5/5 

 

Roman Fever- A film that plays as extended conversation, which is hardly a bad thing when the movie is led by two powerhouse performances. A tale about the long lasting bitterness burrows and lingering feelings ruminate under at what first appears to be a picture of elegance. -4.5/5

 

The Long Way Home- Another entry into the space sagas of CAYOM and this one is possibly the most flavorless outing we’ve been offered. I think this mostly stems from a lack of compelling characters on the team with the exception of David. Still good visual effects work and a couple well structured setpieces (particularly the one set in the second act) keep the film an entertaining enough ride- 2.5/5

 

Loving Shadow- Cute Cat! Dull family drama- 2/5 

 

Snakes- a nice doc about snakes- 3/5 

 

Tongues- A perplexing little films which seems to take aim at white people with a overabundant sense of self-grandeur…. But with a muddled and abrupt ending it’s hard to take much away from the film- 2.5/5

 

 The Perfect Life- A thriller that just kind of wheels until it sputters to an end- 2/5

[Ethan Hunt]

 

3:32- another day another one of these. I continue to think they’re fun while no one else does- 3/5

 

The First Month- A film looking at the aftermath and hysteria of hugly disrupting events of war. The set up of this film is hugly intriguing and the film is built on strong atmosphere. Ryan Gosling is terrific here as always. Once the film slows down a bit and we get to the second half and learn the conflict that is going to make up the rest of the film it ends up being a bit underwhelming but this is still a nice mood piece- 3.5/5

 

Columbine- yeah…. This seems…. Kinda gross. I’m sure there was good intent behind this but I just don’t know what the goal of this project was. It doesn’t seem to make any kind of statement on the state of gun violence in schools in this country. I don’t get any sense of anything other than the studio wanted something for awards and this is what sam mendes pooped out when he has a spare second- 1/5

 

Banjo- Kazooie- There’s a lot to this movie that I don’t get. The actual plot and the antagonist and her actions I can’t make anything meaningful out of . But what does work is the relationship between Banjo and Kazooie which is cute, delightful and enduring. Thrown in some fun musical numbers and you got yourself a good time for the kids- 3/5 

 

Dawn of the Last Six- A big blockbuster sequel that finds our mythological heroes or gods or whatever facing off against lust. Which seems like fun enough on principle but the film never really gets wild and horny enough for that premise. Lots of slow investigation work and then big cgi final act that *shurg* -2/5 

 

Fish Fry- Kinda Cute- 3/5

 

Laika- A beautiful animation that follows a dog. Going by a couple names, and the people that interact with him throughout his life. The voice cast does excellent work here especially Carrie Mulligan and Michael Sheen. A story filled with lots of empathy and moral quandary about the value of life that might not be human. This is a roller coaster emotional journey that is sure to pull on heartstrings and leave you with thoughts on the impacts that pets may have on you and their value- 5/5

[4815162342]

Thanks Ethan.

 

I had considered for when making the import into 3.0 to have things get more "weird" in the second half but given the need to get stuff out quickly for Part 1 to get the schedule filled this year I stuck to just doing some light editing/revisions to the import.

 

Glad you think Gosling nailed his part, he's one of the few cast carryovers from 1.0.

[Ethan Hunt]

October

 

Countdown City- A return to the impending doom filled franchise and… I think this one is a solid improvement. Elgort and Dever doing solid work here again with the later getting more to do this time around. But most importantly the mystery here feels more engaging and more relevant to the larger worldbuilding and future destruction storylines. A rise in stakes, build up in conflict and tension of the impending doom. The work here is solid.- 4/5

 

Tony Hawk Pro Skater- This is rad. Movie uses a pretty simple but effective story of an underdog competing for big money as an avenue for exhilarating skate sequences. Each sequence is filmed uniquely with Coogler using his visual flair to the full extent. An exhilarating time at the movies.- 4.5/5 

 

Broadway Selects: Beetlejuice- It’s a broadway select- 3/5

 

The Layover- A fun sweet romcom with likable leads that plays somewhat similar to something like Before Sunrise but I’m a sucker for this stuff- 4/5 

 

Megalo Box- A triumphant sports tale that despite its futurist gleam play in similar territory to the classics.  And that’s god damn fine by me. Great work from Luke Pasqualina, but especially from Benecio Del Toro. A thrilling tale of perhaps predictable ups and downs but it is never not thrilling.- 4.5/5 

 

Adult Swim Bombscare Non Fiction Documentary for Theatres- A doc that captures a really fascinating subject matter and does a really good job of informing about the incident in an exciting manner-4/5 

 

Turkey Squad- An action film about… saving youtube…. And gets it kicks out of making everything… turkey related…. What- 1/5  

 

[Ethan Hunt]

November 

 

 

Toons vs Reality- This is kinda refreshing honestly, While much of the kid intended animations swings for the fences going for grand scale adventures this one chooses to just be chill. That’s not to say that this film isn’t ambitious if anything the cartoons wanting to protect themselves from an entertainment industry that takes advantage of them is a compelling premise. If anything my complaint comes in some of the more arbitrary conflict points. But I think this is an animation that will be adored by kids and parents may find pleasant joy as it’s played on repeat through out their house- 4/5

 

Ms Blakk for President- Marielle Heller brings her knack for earnest deep dives into real life people to the story of Terrance Smith (or more famously Joan Jett Black) as previously told in the play by Tarell Alvin McCraney and Tina Landau. And honestly it’s a slam dunk. The cast does incredible work here Titus Burgess and William Jackson Harper both do career level work here. Heller’s ability to take such a human view of her characters really shine in this adaption- 5/5

 

American Barbecue- Shia’s tremendous acting skills are on display, unfortunately there’s not much of a movie built around him- 3/5 

 

Red Flavour- a solid concert film- 2.5/5

 

Notorious- A razor sharp (and even at times sexy) thriller. This film is tense and engaging. While Farahani is strong in the leading role the MVP here is Oscar Issac who pulls off sexy very well. The film maybe gets a bit long towards the end but it really is a well made thriller that will leave you on the edge of your seat.- 4.5/5

 

Birdwing-  An animation musical that aims as a play at Disney classics. This film starts of nicely with strong musical numbers and a seemingly nice message, It seemed like a pleasant enough movie. Unfortunately the movie takes a route with the ending that doesn’t necessarily change the final meanings of the movie but to me just seems to pad the runtime to come to where the film had already gotten us. Not a bad time and it’s still worth it for the song numbers on the big screen- 3/5

[Ethan Hunt]

 

December 

 

The Written Word- Another historical work that kind of feels dry on any kind of real emotional presence. I do appreciate the black and white cinematography and Eddie Redmayne does his best with the material- 2.5/5

 

Wii Play- Brad Pitt thankfully gets to do something more fun this time around in the wii movie. Movie as whole is still kind of a jumbled mess but Brad Pitt is earning his paycheck being as goofy as possible and i love it- 1.5/5 

 

The Gift of Life- A very touching and emotional doc- 4/5

 

Until Dawn- A film that has an interesting creepy setup… Things get weird as two different plots as to what’s going on collide and… I wish the film had stuck to one or the other. As is the final product is kind of a jumbled mess- 2/5 

 

Green Lantern Corps: Home- The strengths of this sequel very much align with the strengths of its predecessor: The dynamite chemistry between the two leads and the exciting setpieces. This film centers itself more around Phoenix's Sinestro this time and he gives a very good performance as he is disturbed by his past and the present of his home planet. This film is perhaps more ambitious than its predecessor tackling racial descrimination  (not subtly, and as Numbers already discussed kind of awkwardly considering the ethnicity of our certain lead in comparison to the rest cast as dark sinned Korugarians. This film does find itself dragging in the middle some as there are long stretches without the trademark setpieces. All in all I applaud this sequel for its ambition and I don’t think it will have the same replay value as its predecessor but it’s still an impressive blockbuster feat. - 4/5 

 

Temple Run- The cast is fun here but there isn’t really much adventure until the final 15 minutes of the movie.- 2/5

 

Ends of the Universe- A strikingly beautiful animation. The first half of this movie is the kind of contemplative sanguine tale. Strikingly beautiful in it’s visuals yet still (ironically) down to earth and almost soothingly languid in it’s pacing. Unfortunately the movie takes a disappointing turn into an action blockbuster in the second half. Which is not to say that the action does not work. The sequences are thrilling and exciting and ultimately work. Just a bit of a come down after the first half- 4/5 

 

Making Waves 2- overplotted sequel doesn’t seem to understand worked about the first- 1.5/5

 

The Disappointment- I’m disappointed- 1/5

[Ethan Hunt]

Top 25 will be revealed in a few hours time

[Ethan Hunt]

1. Laika 

2. Ms Blakk for President

3. Looping 

4. Megalo Box

5. Tower of Babylon 

6. Roman Fever

7. Hypercompetency 

8. Notorious 

9. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater

10.  Dear Evan Hanson

11. Attack on Titan 

12. The Gift of Life

13. Toons vs Reality

14. Ends of the Universe

15. Green Lantern Corps: Home

16. The Layover

17. Fatal Attraction 

18. Countdown City 

19. Higher Ground 

20. The First Month

21. Pillars of Eternity: The Ancient Legacy

22. In The Doghouse

23. The Final Cut

24. The Scavenger Wars Part III

25. Beyblade: The War Unleashed- Let Them Rip

[SLAM!]

Thank you for #4 and #19!