Change Your Image
GuiltyCrown93
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
The Colour Room (2021)
Reductive and Pandering
In film so often, male artists are portrayed as serious, obsessive workaholics, whereas women as artists are portrayed as ingenue and self-serving manic pixie dreamgirls. This entire film seemed to be an attempt at pandering to feminists and artists that deep down condescended to both.
The grooming played off as romance was unfortunate.
Dot is a fictionalized amalgamation of all her sisters, and as such, they could have given her any plot they wanted. The one they chose just feels overdone while not actually adding anything to the storyline. Considering one sister of the real Clarice Cliff was an art director at Wilkinson, it's disappointing what they came up with considering all they had to work with.
Felt like it was written by someone who doesn't understand or appreciate art deco.
The fact that everyone's taste in things was boiled down to "that makes you smile doesn't it" was unfortunate, reductive and rather insulting to the underlying artist. The entire plot implies that the art was only good because it appeals to the unsophisticated and uneducated. Even worse, it implies that the "unsophisticated and uneducated" are women, as a whole.
Sean Hunt's the White Rider (2017)
Feels unfinished
I imagine if you've watched a film before, you'll get what i mean when i say this does not feel like watching a film but rather like watching a home movie compiled by your 10 year old nephew who means well but -- let's face it -- is 10 and knows nothing of the world.
The music is used oddly with strange mixing, sometimes too loud. The acting is fine, for a home movie. But the storyline, while supposed to be more or less straightforward, is almost incomprehensible. There are some awkward parts that feel like they were probably not meant to seem bigoted or pervy but still manage to feel that way. But most importantly, the blatant rip off of the plot twist from The Empire Strikes Back -- down to utilizing the exact same quote -- is so hard to tell whether it was meant to be funny or was just really, really cringe.
Willow (2022)
The Best Kind of Campy
I would describe the original Willow movie as quintessential 80s fantasy at its peak, complete with poorly aged special effects and delightfully cringe dialogue. It's great when you remember it was made in the 80s, but if it were to be released today just as is, it'd go down as a low budget crapshoot.
So I expected the sequel to either try too hard to be camp and turn out unwatchable (i.e. Thor: Love and Thunder), or to take the source material too seriously and turn out fine but very definitely NOT the original film.
Colour me impressed.
Instead of sacrificing graphics or quality writing, the writers appear to have tried to toe the line by writing a great, archetypically 2022 fantasy show while not taking themselves too seriously, from tons of intentionally and hilariously god-awful dialogue to comedic-foil reprises of some of the poorest-aging costumed monsters. This show is the perfect example of how sometimes, overused and over-the-top fantasy archetypes can still be as loveable and entertaining as ever.
Andor (2022)
Easily the best Star Wars cinema produced to date
I remember the first time I played Knights of the Old Republic, picking a scoundrel and navigating a messy world with unique and interesting characters. The first time I played Jedi Outcast and became obsessed with Kyle Katarn's tale. My first viewing of Solo or Rogue One.
I remember being in a Star Wars universe that was filled with grit, with the little guy getting stomped on by a cruel empire with complacent politicians getting fat and happy off of turning a blind eye. A universe where individuals operated in shades of grey, never knowing exactly what they needed to do in order to help others but always (sometimes reluctantly) putting themselves in danger to help others.
This feels like that, only for adults who enjoy an even more fleshed out and complex tale. It's a well told espionage thriller with genuinely relatable but very unique individuals you find yourself rooting for again and again.
Beautiful story. Gritty but also wholesome.
The Witcher (2019)
Read the books or play the games instead
First, if you like the games or the books, this show is not for you. Not a faithful representation of any of the characters (Dandillion is a one-dimensional idiot, Geralt is a one-dimensional skeptic, and then Triss and Yenefer basically swap personalities only suddenly neither seem all that bright), and it misses the whole atmosphere of a world where an oppressed and outwardly stoic Witcher tries to remain uninvolved but ends up having too much of a heart of gold.
But if you're not familiar with either, which I wasn't when I first started watching, I would still say it's not great for a show made in 2022. None of the characters are all that likeable or relatable. The most powerful sorceress main character always loses when she fights men, and finally, when she does technically win a major fight, she sacrificed so much that it's still not a personal win. After a few introductory episodes, she also has almost her whole personality boiled down to "I am infertile but want to have a baby," which, to be fair, was a minor plot point in the books (which were written forty years ago; you'd think writers would have learned to write more realistic and complex women than they did back around when the US equal rights amendment first failed to be ratified). Other than that, it's just your basic sexist male fantasy show that tries to appear woke and diverse. Sorta enjoyable, but with mediocre acting and occasional bouts of bad writing.
Halo (2022)
Just so bland
Caveat: I have only seen the first episode so far, as that is all that was out when I made this review.
But:
This show feels more like a video game cutscene than any show I've ever seen, and up until today, I would have thought that could be a good thing.
Biggest gripe was that weapons used by a non-spartan were useless, but then the moment a spartan picked the exact same weapon up, it became a magical killing machine.
Other than that, everything was just okay. The characters are watered down versions of people you've seen in a thousand other movies or TV shows. The plot is predictable, but not in the way that makes a cult classic or a fun B-movie.
Suffice it to say, it's great to turn on in the background if you want some white noise.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch (2021)
The Fan Favorite Underbelly of Star Wars
While the Clone Wars develops amazing characters through a long war and Rebels follows rag tag folk doing fantastic things against a seemingly invincible empire, The Bad Batch fills that story void left by the recent lack of many star wars video games. Even more so than Jedi Fallen Order, The Bad Batch shows off the rich but dirty and morally grey worlds of star wars in the vein of westerns and samauri films.
Also, Cid is a great side character.
Black Widow (2021)
SO BAD. Feels like out-of-touch old men designed and produced it
This movie feels like the story and screenplay were written by men who didn't understand women at all, which is both bad for a movie all about a woman AND regrettable since technically one of the three people behind writing the story and screenplay was a woman.
It is disappointing that this movie takes one of the strongest women in the Marvel cinematic universe and gives her a backstory with plot holes. Somehow the "test" that got her accepted into Shield was unsuccessful but no one thought to check? And they never really explain how?
It takes one of the only women in the avengers and makes her uniquely susceptible to the pheromones of an old man in his sixties. Which just feels creepy, and also rather demeaning to her character.
It falls victim to one of the classic blunders: while it does not enter a land war in Asia, it does take a powerful character and make "not being able to have children" a major personality trait. This wouldn't be bad in and of itself, but because they have never made any of the men in the cinematic universe have this sort of an issue or personality trait, it does come off as uniquely insensitive and seems to be unintentionally (or intentionally, I don't know) suggesting that powerful women have a portion of their value tied up in whether they can produce children.
On top of that, it gives her a backstory that is frankly not nearly as cool as that of practically any other avenger. I like the family dynamic, but you have to admit, having three years of fake family and then nothing else other than being ensorcelled by a villain and escaping to immediately join Shield seems more like the stories given to Marvel villains than to actual leading characters. She had no agency, no character building; all she was was a girl who did what she was told and then switched sides and did what she was told by the other people. No dramatic hero story, no "with great power comes great responsibility."
Lastly, the movie contains a lot of filler, with action sequences that seem all about blowing random stuff up, starting avalanches, and stretching out the action instead of actually being unique or including enjoyable super hero fights. Which is fine in a Fast and Furious movie, but not exactly what one hopes for from a Marvel movie.
The Green Knight (2021)
Visually Artistic but Lacking Any Substance
I really don't know what to say about this film. I didn't enjoy it, because it felt like dressing up a pig. The important characters had no real personalities, and the entire plot felt like a sermon on the patriarchal version of honor.
But it does seem to capture the general morality of the source material well. It plays through with a medieval sort of lack of grey areas and focus on male adventuring, despite the pleasantly modern view on sex and sexuality. And the entire Erin Kellyman sequence was delightful.
In a Lonely Place (1950)
Aged Very Interestingly
This movie is very interesting to watch in 2020. I don't think the director and writers intended this to have the message it has ended up taking on over the years, but I honestly really enjoyed it and would recommend. It is a great take on the "man with anger and control issues" trope, and the ending both works well and ages better than most anything else I've seen with the trope. Great film noir with great acting (per usual, Bogart; I see you).
Made in Italy (2020)
Simple Sweet Emotional Comedy? With twists!
To start out, it feels like your typical sweet rom com. Seems like you can see the plot coming, etc. But then you realize it also wants to make you cry at parts. All in all, excellent movie with a lot of unique aspects. Everything you could want from a ro
Liam Neeson was amazing.
Normal People (2020)
Anything less than a 9 obviously missed the point
This story is a beautiful look at two highly intelligent but socially complex people who are constantly mislabeled and misunderstood by everyone around them except each other. It explores the intricacies of life for those who came of age in the wake of the 2008 recession. It leaves you wanting more.
Most of the reviews are equally glowing to mine, but I've seen a few saying "I would force these two into therapy" or "everything could have been perfect if they had just communicated better." Without spoilers, I'd say these people missed the point of the ending of the show. They also missed the fact that at least one of the characters does have a therapist. This story isn't about people who have bad communication. Rather, it is about the reasons behind their miscommunications, their mistakes, and it is all about their emotional growth. It explores self worth, it explores depression, and it explores codependency.
The book and the show are both incredible, but after watching the show, it is worth it to read the book, if only to get Connell's inner dialogue and an even clearer explanation of the ending. When (if) a second season comes out, having read the book and seen the show will be invaluable.
Lady Bird (2017)
Abuse is Attention and Therefore Love
This was a well written, well acted, indie-esk movie in which every plot point has been done a thousand times and is exactly what you expect. Even so, it was pretty good and a fun watch. Until the ending.
If people could stop making movies about how your abusive parents probably love you, that would be great. The final scenes legitimized abuse in a stockholm-esk way. I think the way Christine says "I'm sorry for wanting more, for wanting to better myself" sums it up nicely. And then the ending obliterated every good point it had made previously by interjecting a "moral message" and "old time value" that equates to victim shaming.
Bloodshot (2020)
Passes Time Between Outlander Episodes
Straight male here. Wiggins is the only decent character, and they didn't give him any more motivation than anyone else. The plot is just decent with way too much exposition in the beginning. The overall concept is chauvinist and obviously written for one specific demographic. Vin Diesel is typical Vin Diesel: mediocre actor who is pretty darn good at action sequences (though the first three major action sequences are mediocre at best). However, it's a fine way to pass the time between Outlander episodes, as long as you're okay with seeing Sam Hueghan cast as your typical Chad with no motivation, background or storyline (but hey, it's Sam Hueghan; who's really here for the character arc?).
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Good Movie, but not My Star Wars
JJ did a great job with this movie. It's as delightfully campy as the original trilogy, and I adore that they finally touch on sith artifacts and culture. JJ brought a lot of the magic from the games and old movies into this film, and the lightsaber fights were splendid. If you have trouble following the plot... I'm sorry. It's pretty easy to follow, and it's decently straightforward. Some characters' motivations are unexplained or underexplained, but otherwise it is a great movie with tons of throwbacks to the eighties.
However, this movie was not made for me. As someone who grew up on the original trilogy and prequel trilogy but now is a lot older and more mature than I was then, this movie was not made for me. The plot is back to being mostly male led, any major Asian characters from previous films are sidelined, and the world is relegated back to the oversimplified black-and-white morality of Lucas' six films. Every interesting and unique addition from TLJ is retconned in a way that makes it feel like infighting between episodes 7 and 8.
The movie is genuinely good. It's enjoyable, and it works very well to close out the rest of the saga. Apart from a couple parts, the film directors and writers made good choices and a solid film. However, it's a movie by a specific demographic for that demographic, with some pandering here and there to make it feel "woke" without eating to actually be woke.
Outlaw King (2018)
PG Knights with Bouts of Gore
This is an objectively bad movie purely because it cannot commit to what it wants to be. A historical fiction about an arranged marriage, the movie tries to be a romance pandering to feminists. A bloody period piece akin to The Kingdom of Heaven, it tries to be the tv show Merlin with a smattering of Game of Thrones.
It may have pulled it off, but it put too much time into wide shots and not near enough into character development. The dialogue was suited to a young adult fantasy drama, but swords would randomly make fully armored men expell chunks of blood and guts across the battlefield.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019)
Precisely What I Hoped For
This show is everything one could want from a Dark Crystal prequel. It is puppets on elaborate sets with a good plot and writing, but it has a dark side with unexpectedly morbid moments. Suitable for all ages, this show includes incredible voice acting performances by Mark Hamill and Caitriona Balfe, as well as others that everyone knows and loves.
The Goldfinch (2019)
Aesthetic and Heart wrenching
When you watch this, make sure you are prepared for an intense mess of emotion. There is a lot of drug use and alcoholism, with a lot of people dealing with loss in different ways. The moral of the story is magnificent but atypical. All in all, an aesthetic and tasteful rendition of a masterpiece. I only wish they had another hour or two to tell the story in, as the 2 1/2 hours were not quite enough to keep parts from feeling a tad rushed.