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#Saraitda (2020)
Inconsistent at times
The female lead switches back and forth from badass femme fatale to being rather demure. The cell phones are confusing - there is no power, yet he is able to keep recharging his phone and using it. The concept of the movie is interesting and the acting isn't bad, but the writing could be sped up; the plot moves very slowly at times. The CGI is a little evident at times. Overall, it was middle-of-the-road. Not great, but not actively bad.
Creep (2014)
Stalker lures a videographer into a truly creepy experience.
I love the idea of a stalker, tbh I found it a little hot at points. Plot felt too long in parts and too short in parts - but maybe just because they perfectly made me feel uncomfortable on the first day? I didn't like how little exposition was given to that day's ending, but it was a harrowing scene I really enjoyed. Both actors did a great job! The ending was okay but could have been a bit more expository. Once the cat was out of the bag, I wish we had some additional final details.
Sunshine (2007)
A team of astronauts attempts to nuke the sun in order to restart it, following the previous mission's mysterious failure.
By the end, I was in sheer terror. Neat overall idea; movie feels like it changes genres towards something darker about halfway in (or progressively the whole time?). Science wasn't the focus, but the science of the nukes / flashing lights was a little strange. I thought the acting was pretty good, and Chris Evans was hot af in 2007. Visuals were occasionally stunning; the director achieved the effect they wanted with the sun as a god-like figure. I kind of wanted the movie to hurry up and end (mostly because I was terrified), but I think that just means it was a good suspense film.
Arrival (2016)
A linguist must decode an entirely foreign language when aliens land on earth.
Acting was decent. Plot is oriented towards intrigue and curiosity rather than suspense; not very fast-paced, but it kept my interest (maybe only because I'm interested in linguistics?). Romance is kind of shoe-horned in. Graphics were good but good graphics were not the point of the movie. The ending left me feeling unresolved; it was an okay ending that tied the movie together, but I felt like the movie built up towards answering larger questions that ultimately were not resolved. Overall, the premise was interesting and it was decently executed.
Dante's Peak (1997)
A geologist fights the public and the forces of nature.
Acting wasn't great, and the writing was very cheesy / cliché. Plot progresses very slowly until halfway through, and then the second half is constant suspense. Graphics were decent for the most part and there were only a couple times a scene seemed unrealistic or inaccurate. Good suspense, but I didn't care much about the characters. Random kiss at the end - why? One critic said the movie "works when it's on fire" but lamented everything else; that seems accurate to me.
The Truman Show (1998)
An everyman finds he's the star of his own little world. Interesting concept with decent execution.
Somewhat disappointing resolution that doesn't quite feel satisfying. The actual movie did not feel as psychologically horrifying as the concept could have been. The alternate love interest subplot was poorly done imo; he barely has any interaction with Silvia but still pines for her years later, and the scenes with her watching him on TV don't really add much because the ending only shows her leaving her house. We get no anger from Truman or resolution between him and the producer. Decent acting, the cast did well "acting" on two levels.
Gravity (2013)
An orbital minefield forces astronauts to attempt an escape from space.
Effects were pretty but inaccuracy of the physics annoyed me at several moments; most won't notice. Some of these were key moments in the movie and inaccurate physics resulted in some immersion-breaking (mostly the inaccurate inertia). Good acting, as we would expect from Sandra Bullock <3. Plot is nice; a "single-scene" (my "") film taking you through a specific crisis. I wish the ending showed one step further in time, but the danger felt real and I was along for the ride. Decently good overall.
A Quiet Place (2018)
Blind monster terrorizes a family in a post-apocalyptic world.
Had a little trouble keeping my attention heading towards the middle of the movie, but I was quite happy by the end. The monster effects/CGI were great, some of the better monster effects I've seen (new tech, better images). The acting was pretty great, even from the children. The premise of a blind monster seems a little familiar (Stranger Things?), but the idea and plot kept me in suspense (which is impressive for a somewhat "silent" movie!). I love movies where not everybody makes it to the end-otherwise it's too predictable. I love that it ends right when the protagonists figure out how to fight the monsters; the discovery was the resolution to the movie, and it didn't need some flashy final battle or dumb years-later epilogue to satisfy.
Volcano (1997)
A volcano erupts in downtown L.A.
Effects were laughably bad. Acting was pretty bad from some, especially the daughter towards the middle of the film. Employs the weird trope where the father is overly concerned about a daughter who either is beyond the age where she should be considered helpless or is played by a teenage actress pretending to be a little girl. The plot isn't very broad or deep (the movie is almost entirely about fighting the volcano, which feels like one "scene"), but it was interesting enough to keep you invested. Okay enough, probably won't watch again.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
An advanced civilization subtly guides humanity towards...something. Does not hold up to 2020 standards.
Trying to contextualize it for its time period, the visuals are quite fantastic (even today they're good), and the experience of a film was quite different from what we expect now. Nonetheless, the movie was largely unwatchable: opening act was tolerable for a while, then got confusing. Second act was boring. Third act was the only redeeming part of the movie; I would trim the film down to just the part about Hal. Fourth act just seems stupid; I haven't seen any interpretation that makes any sense.
Interstellar (2014)
Humanity must find a new home or a way to conquer gravity. Some great visuals with accurate science.
Then it eventually goes off the rails and creates a magic 5D space in a black hole with time travel. The plot is decently compelling, the visuals are pretty good. I'm not mad about filling in the gaps in science with some nonsense (unlike Contact where things already observable on earth are recast as religious nonsense). I guess it was a little hokey. Dialogue is "clunky" as one critic says. Not a bad movie.
The Martian (2015)
Astronaut stranded on Mars has hope of returning home. Great visuals, scientifically accurate for the most part.
Compelling plot that keeps you interested in the character as he succeeds and is then set back. Held back just a bit by stupid early-2000s-2010s type jokes. I did not like the ending; it was one of those disappointing endings where the character shows up much later as a teacher in an epilogue. Otherwise a compelling suspense movie, well done.
Deep Impact (1998)
Astronomical discovery poses a great threat to Earth. Great visuals, seemed scientifically accurate.
Subplots were actually enjoyable, that rarely happens for me in a movie- for once I wasn't trying to skip through subplots. Characters were believable - anchorlady was panned as bad a actress but her awkwardness/nervousness was a necessary part of the character imo. Doesn't have a perfect ending for all characters, so not as predictable as most movies. I was really, very thoroughly impressed.
Armageddon (1998)
Astronomical discovery poses a great threat to Earth. Made it to about 1/3 of the way through the movie before turning it off.
Combination of "a-team" and ocean's 11. The kind of movie where they put a bunch of big-name actors together and then forget to write a plot. Terrible "jokes", relies heavily on machoism and showing off famous actors. Visuals were terrible.
Source Code (2011)
A bewildered army captain must repeatedly engage in simulations in an attempt to avert disaster.
Overall concept is interesting and the execution was well done enough to keep 8 minutes from being repetitive. I understand the need for goofy science, but it's still a bit clunky for a minute or two. I empathized with the main character's frustration at not being able to learn more about their situation, which kept my attention. I like how the characters were introduced - there were few enough named characters that one could get to know them. Graphics and visuals are good for 2011. Acting seemed okay-to-good (good from lead, okay from some sides). I like the ending; there are many, many inferences one can draw from the final scenes, and they lead to interesting places.
District 9 (2009)
Director finds a good story along the way.
An official deals with personal change while handling the relocation of an alien slum. Pretty good acting, writing, etc. Plot was confusing in the beginning; I didn't know what the focus of the movie was for a while. Once it was clear what the plot was, the rest of the movie was pretty enjoyable and kept my attention. There was enough character development that I started to really feel for even the aliens. More futurey aliens/space tech than some other movies. Graphics ok for '09, a little CGI-y. Ending wasn't bad; leaves you wondering what will happen next, but maybe it's fine to end that way; it felt satisfying enough.