You’d Think I’d Have Watched More Movies
May. 29th, 2021 11:46 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chuckroGodzilla vs. Kong - The plot is so stupid, the science is so bad…but that’s not what you’re here for. The giant monsters fight each other a bunch and then team up to fight Mecha-Godzilla; and there’s some funny dialogue interspersed with it. This is nominally a sequel to a series of films starring both monsters, but I hadn’t seen any of the earlier ones and it isn’t particularly necessary.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople - An earlier work by current media darling Taika Waititi, and with a lot of his signature humor. It’s a heartwarming story of found family wrapped in the utter absurdity of New Zealand bush life. Warnings for people and dogs dying.
The Map of Tiny Perfect Things – Will I ever tire of Groundhog Day loops? Probably not. In this case, it’s used as a backdrop for teen romcom. Unlike some of the other films of this type, it’s totally self-aware about the loop and both Groundhog Day and Edge of Tomorrow get namechecked. And the only good explanation for the events of the movie is magic, most likely that Margaret is a wizard and created the time loop (and the solution, and possibly also Marc) with her magical powers.
Mortal Kombat (2021) – Wow, that was terrible in a completely different way than the 90s movie. Kano is everybody’s favorite until the writers remember we’re supposed to hate him. Most of the rest of the cast has no personality at all, and Cole is the most useless main character I’ve seen in forever. Also, Mehcad Brooks has an awesome voice and the gravely thing he’s doing here does him no favors, but at least he gets to show off how much time he spent at the gym.
The Craft – It’s interesting seeing this years later, and being able to see the through-line of DNA from Heathers to this to Mean Girls. Also, I hadn’t quite realized how much Charmed was clearly born as The Craft: The Series (down to the same use of “How Soon is Now”, with the cuts to make it seem more “elemental”). There’s a thesis (that I’m sure has been written) about how Wicca and Paganism in general are portrayed in media as Christian theology with a funny hat. (As opposed to classic Satanism, which is Fundamentalist Christianity where you root for the other side.)
Destination Wedding - Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder (who, in real life, have been friends for 35 years) play a pair of misanthropes who end up together at a destination wedding. They’re the only speaking parts in the movie, and there’s very little action: It’s basically 90 minutes of snarking at each other. And that’s just delightful.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople - An earlier work by current media darling Taika Waititi, and with a lot of his signature humor. It’s a heartwarming story of found family wrapped in the utter absurdity of New Zealand bush life. Warnings for people and dogs dying.
The Map of Tiny Perfect Things – Will I ever tire of Groundhog Day loops? Probably not. In this case, it’s used as a backdrop for teen romcom. Unlike some of the other films of this type, it’s totally self-aware about the loop and both Groundhog Day and Edge of Tomorrow get namechecked. And the only good explanation for the events of the movie is magic, most likely that Margaret is a wizard and created the time loop (and the solution, and possibly also Marc) with her magical powers.
Mortal Kombat (2021) – Wow, that was terrible in a completely different way than the 90s movie. Kano is everybody’s favorite until the writers remember we’re supposed to hate him. Most of the rest of the cast has no personality at all, and Cole is the most useless main character I’ve seen in forever. Also, Mehcad Brooks has an awesome voice and the gravely thing he’s doing here does him no favors, but at least he gets to show off how much time he spent at the gym.
The Craft – It’s interesting seeing this years later, and being able to see the through-line of DNA from Heathers to this to Mean Girls. Also, I hadn’t quite realized how much Charmed was clearly born as The Craft: The Series (down to the same use of “How Soon is Now”, with the cuts to make it seem more “elemental”). There’s a thesis (that I’m sure has been written) about how Wicca and Paganism in general are portrayed in media as Christian theology with a funny hat. (As opposed to classic Satanism, which is Fundamentalist Christianity where you root for the other side.)
Destination Wedding - Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder (who, in real life, have been friends for 35 years) play a pair of misanthropes who end up together at a destination wedding. They’re the only speaking parts in the movie, and there’s very little action: It’s basically 90 minutes of snarking at each other. And that’s just delightful.
