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Reviews
Madame Web (2024)
Sorry, not sorry. We liked it!
For me, this is a different take on a super-hero movie. That was part of the appeal, because it didn't follow the typical formula, where the hero has it rough, something scary happens, and the next thing you know, they're flinging bad guys around like rag dolls. This is not full of ridiculous, CGI-laden battles. It's more of a personal story.
One of the things we liked most was the way they showed us the evolution of her abilities from her perspective. She wasn't an instant superhero. She was a regular, relatable person for the duration, and a more realistic take on what someone would go through emotionally and/or mentally if supernatural things were happening to them. It would be confusing, scary, and you'd still be vulnerable. So, she doesn't instantly become a genius at using her abilities, but is still put in a position of protecting others. We got to see the disorienting progression from her perspective. I thought Dakota Johnson portrayed this well!
Sure, this isn't the pillar of movie making. There are some inconsistencies, and some cheesiness, but whatever. Everybody's a critic.
Surviving Christmas (2004)
A classic in our house!
This movie is great! We watch it every year, (almost) without fail. The scathing reviews are just over the top. Critics criticize; it's in the name! Based on the vast differences in reviews, it'll either resonate with you, or it won't. Maybe it's generational, maybe it's fans of the cast, how your life situation relates, or maybe it's expectations going in. But whatever it is, those who like it seem to love it.
For me, I'm cracked up by Gandolfini's dead-pan, Affleck's awkwardness, and I'm endeared by Applegate's wit. The over-the-top, awkward, situational humor is on the surface of a heartfelt story about a man and a family all struggling during the holidays and who end up helping each other. To me, the awkwardness is representative of the facade so many people put up during the holiday season, due to potentially deep personal struggles. And as you get through this story, the layers are peeled back.
You will love this movie if you like the cast, and if you can go in with an open mind.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
Some good stuff, but will never watch again.
Gunn's undoing will be his hubris.
The good - the guardians themselves are great. The chemistry is still there, the humor still works, and if there needed to be an end, the bond between the characters makes for a heartfelt conclusion. The action is intense, and still packs the punch one would expect from a guardians movie.
The bad - this movie is not kid-safe. Kids will want to see this movie!!! Especially if they saw the first two. One may argue that the brutality of Rocket's past is a necessary part of the back-story. That back-story is important, and it helps drive the dislike for the villains. But the amount of time spent focusing on it was not only unnecessary, but detracted from the rest of the story. This movie could have been great for everyone, but Gunn went too far with it and will alienate younger audiences, parents whose kids will be affected, and animal lovers.
Not only does portray animal cruelty, but these animals are also kids themselves. So, Gunn's hubris has him not only pushing the envelope on cruelty, but also pushing the envelope on what happens to KIDS in movies! Let's find the cutest adolescent animals, give them human personalities and child-like voices, then put them in the middle of Halloween Town, make sure everyone is aware of the torture they've been through, create some empathy, then kill then anyway. It's excessive, it's not why we go to Marvel movies, and the story would actually have more impact without the distraction of a mini horror film woven into the middle of it all.
And on top of that, the torturous "modifications" to these child animals made no sense! How does spider-like legs and a steel mouth mask help create some better society? What was the intent of what was done to Rocket? All of that had little to do with a good story, and everything to do with shock value. 👎 There was much more emphasis on the shock value than on the motivations of the villain. His reasons were superficial and simplistic: "I visited Earth once and didn't like it, so I decided to make the perfect society". Ok, so what's the definition of a perfect society? How does one build that with cruelty and torture? Why would a sociopath care about a perfect society, anyway? It makes no sense!
And why are they still messed up in Heaven? Again... shock value over logic. 😒
Overall, a decent movie, but not something ourour family will ever watch again.
Violent Night (2022)
A surprising twist on Santa!
OMG, this is one of our new favorite Christmas movies!!! 😆 it's ridiculously violent, to the point of being hilarious, but it's such a crazy twist on Santa Claus that it works! 🎅🏼
We felt it pulled from some of our other Christmas favorites... one guy against hostage takers, like Die Hard; some childish boobie traps like Home Alone; crazy family politics like Knives Out.
They only briefly touched on the back story for this version of Santa Claus, but I actually wish they'd done more with it. Nevertheless, it have some credence to the idea that Santa could take action, if needed.
I highly recommend it (but not for the littles, for sure).