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Casablanca (1942)
A Movie as beautiful as the Sunset
Whenever I talk about movies with someone, I would refer to most older movies that I grew up watching. But for me, Casablanca is a movie that I grew older watching. Since many have commented on its plot and greatness, I will skip the obligated summary of Casablanca and go immediately into my review.
Casablanca is a movie that has matured with me; the more life experiences I had, the more enjoyable it was. As an example, the scene where Ilsa listens to Sam play As Time Goes By seemed extraneous before I experienced my first heartbreak. Now, when I hear her tear up with the song in the background, I feel like I could cry with her.
The movie was more enjoyable the more I watched it as well. For the first time, I thought it was all right. But on the subsequent viewings, I saw the small nuances and expressions in Rick and Ilsa's actions as they tried to stay casual despite having a tragic past; I recognized that all the dialogue was necessary to accumulate in an unforgettable ending; and as I mentioned above, I empathized with the characters more and more.
Watching Casablanca is like watching the sunset. The longer you look, the more times you look, the more beautiful it gets.
The Expanse: Abaddon's Gate (2018)
THIS is Epic Science Fiction
I knew that the season 3 finale for The Expanse was going to be good, so I prepared a large bowl of popcorn and a can of my favorite soda for a Friday night treat. But I didn't know it was going to be AMAZING; I left my popcorn and soda untouched because I was glued to the action, and now I am writing this review immediately after viewing.
The scope of this episode promises a 4th season which will certainly take hardcore science fiction series to a whole new level, with the pacing, acting, soundtrack and CGI to make us feel like we are taking the journey with the protagonists in a futuristic universe.
And what a journey it is; the episode is ambitious in scope and pulls off nearly every question it tries to answer: How much can a person adapt under duress (applied to thousands of people stuck in the Ring)? We see alliances change rapidly, and characters experience life-altering epiphanies in the midst of an unfamiliar, alien space.
For those who want to get into the series, now is a good time. For me, this episode was one that tied off everything that happened so far; all the characters and plotlines that have been introduced have been leading up to this critical moment. You won't be disappointed!
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)
The movie gets better the more you think about it
When the ending credits rolled across the screen, I was shaking my head with disappointment. Too many plot holes, too many similarities to the original trilogy and rushed scenes make the movie a bit lackluster due to all the good reviews.
However, after letting The Force Awakens percolate in my head overnight, I am still going to recommend people to watch it in theatres AND give it a 9 rating. Why?
a. The graphics are amazing. Fork out some extra money to watch it in 3D and only then you'll see the masterpiece that modern technology has made combined with JJ Abram's vision.
b. The Force Awakens is intended as a homage or a mirror image to A New Hope, so there are bound to be similarities. Abrams did a great job bringing modernity to a plot which has been reused countless times since 1977.
c. Addressing my concerns above, some plot holes can be filled in by reading the novelization and the rushed scenes may be done because everything was happening so quickly that the protagonists did not have time to what was going on around them.
Star Wars The Force Awakens is a masterpiece. You just have to look at it with an open mind.
Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn (2012)
A Surprising Gem
Many of the reviewers gave bad comments about how long it took to delve into the action of the movie but I thought that the length of time it took at the beginning to introduce the context of the situation and characters made the ending more worthwhile to watch. However, I have to agree that the introduction (scene before the credits) was way too long and could have been condensed even further. It also contained scenes that were used later on in the movie which depreciated the quality of the film.
It is true that people would need knowledge of the Halo universe to understand this movie or else some of the plot line will be gibberish unless there's someone explaining to you why Master Chief is so big etc. But overall, the special effects and the acting were great.