twigman-56178 Reviews

Challengers (2024)

Interesting watch

[7/10 · 21 April 2024]

I thought this movie was a good way to spend two hours. It's centred on the three main characters and the dynamic between them is interesting to explore. The actors all do a good job to make the tension palpable.

As a tennis fan I was taken out of the movie a few times but that's probably decent for a sports movie. It's clear it's not the focus anyway.

It has a very unorthodox ending for a sports movie that I'm sure will be controversial. I didn't love it myself but it didn't feel inappropriate for the movie. There were strong moments that made it worth it regardless.

The music I sometimes found great and at other times overwhelming. I missed some dialogue because it was so loud.

I was rooting for different outcomes throughout the movie which shows I was invested and the characters had intrigue.

Overall an interesting movie and a good watch but slightly less than I'd hoped.

Death to 2021 (2021 TV Special)

Downgrade

[4/10 · 27 December 2021]

I really enjoyed the 2020 one but I found this edition much less entertaining. I guess the year just wasn't as interesting to comment on.

They brought back probably my two favourite characters from the previous one in the average British and American woman and added a news woman who I thought was a lot of fun as well so there were definitely moments I found hilarious.

Again the majority focuses on America but they manage to squeeze in a few moments of world news.

Overall just not very funny for my taste and the commentary wasn't exactly groundbreaking.

The Power of the Dog (2021)

Sleeper hit

[9/10 · 17 December 2021]

This film tells its story in round about ways a lot of the time so I can understand people missing things but I found it clear in both what happened and why.

I had no idea what I was getting into with this film which is why I was disappointed as the opening credits told me it was a Netflix film soon after I'd taken my seat in the cinema. I came around though as a cinema experience demands my full attention and for this film attention is required and rewarded.

The writing, acting, directing and cinematography are all great here and have rightly been praised. Even though certain events were predictable the ways in which things unfolded took me by surprise.

It was still only after the film when I was continuing to reflect on it that I came to appreciate it as I do now and that will likely grow even more.

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Fine

[6/10 · 17 December 2021]

It was an enjoyable way to spend two hours. It would've been nicer if that was the full runtime.

A lot of fan service which produced one moment I thought was very cool and honestly my favourite character was Andrew Garfield. I still thought those segments could've been shorter.

I felt no real emotional connection to anyone in the film so it fell a bit flat for me. Personally I wouldn't watch it a second time.

I had no idea of the plot so halfway through it I was just trying to recall everyone who'd been in a past film and wondering why they hadn't shown up yet.

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Definitely worth seeing

[7/10 · 24 April 2019]

As a casual fan of the MCU (watched most movies, read no comics) it didn't have such an impact on me but it was an enjoyable ride all the same. I was worried at the beginning that the three hours would drag (some scenes were padded, shall we say) but it was no difficulty. Though there was surprisingly little action, it kept my attention throughout. I did find myself getting lost occasionally with all the references to previous movies that I simply couldn't remember well enough.

A scene I found particularly effective was the opening with Hawkeye's family. I thought it did well to remind us where we left off without retreading the same ground as before.

I found one plot point particularly confusing. I thought Thanos had to sacrifice the thing most dear to him who was coincidentally beside him in the previous movie yet here it seemed like the soul stone just requires whoever happens to be standing next to you. I've got to say the image of the dead body was my favourite though, absolutely stunning.

As for humour, some felt misplaced and fell flat but there were a few hilarious moments for sure. Thor is essentially comic relief which may not please some but I enjoyed almost all of his scenes. I just think Chris Hemsworth is such a pro at his delivery.

Overall it was a tremendous effort to try to wrap up so many stories in a satisfying way. For most I imagine it will be successful, I just felt it tied too neat a bow on everything. I've got to say I wanted a higher body count, further showing my morbid taste. I had no significant attachment to the characters so my eyes remained completely dry as we progressed through the farewells which rival LOTR for length if not emotion. It was still a very enjoyable ride. I would say Infinity War was more thrilling but Endgame was more polished. Definitely worth a watch.