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Nerve (I) (2016)
5/10
Nerve: Good Concept, Poor Execution
29 July 2016
This was a movie that I thought had a very cool premise, but at the same time, its trailer appeared to leave no surprises to be discovered.

The Good This film's premise is definitely a fun one, and at the least, this movie was almost constantly entertaining. The dares that these people are forced to do as well as the reasons for why people are playing this game are things I found very fun and interesting.

Emma Roberts and Dave Franco both give solid performances in this film, and they each work well off of each other. Roberts as Vee accurately depicts a high school senior struggling with social problems as well as college, even if Roberts herself looks like she graduated from high school six years ago. Franco's character was also an intriguing one, and he grew on me the more the film progressed.

I enjoyed nearly every moment when a legitimate dare was being done, as they were handled very well and created tension excellently. The style of this movie is also a reason as to why this film feels original, as the sleek visuals create some very cool scenes.

The Bad Nerve can be very fun when it wants to be, but the problem is that it also takes itself way too seriously in many scenes. This movie tries to get serious towards the end and become dramatic and have important themes, but it all comes across as incredibly dull and tedious.

Speaking of the ending, no matter how serious the movie thinks it is, it is absolutely stupid. The whole plan doesn't make much sense at all, and there are way too many unanswerable questions to just let go how convoluted it is.

While I did like Roberts and Franco, I had a massive problem with Emily Meade.

Whether it is the design of her character or the performance, Meade is completely unlikable and lacks any sense at all, and that would be okay if we are supposed to be against her. Instead, the movie expects us to feel sorry for her, which I found impossible to do.

My biggest fear coming in was that the trailer gave away too much of the main plot.

I wouldn't say the trailer gave away too much, I would say the trailer gave away everything. Every single scene, besides two, in particular, I saw coming a mile away because of one individual trailer, and I think it completely ruined my film going experience. Nearly every dare, every important conflict, and even the plot twist can be found within this movie's official trailer, and I highly recommend avoiding that trailer like the plague if you have any interest in seeing this movie.

Conclusion Nerve has good performances from its two leads and a unique visual style, and it certainly has its fair share of entertainment. However, though it might not be fair, the trailer absolutely ruined my experience by giving away the vast majority of the plot. Even besides that, there are issues in the film's storytelling, and whenever the movie tries to be taken seriously, it falls flat on its face. Nerve has its moments but falls apart towards its conclusion.

4.5/10
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8/10
A Sequel Worth Watching
29 July 2016
The Good

I was incredibly excited to see this film, especially considering how much I seriously enjoyed the first two in this new franchise, both directed by J.J. Abrams. While Abrams may have moved back to only producing, not directing, Beyond, his footprint is still all over this movie, and that is no way a bad thing. This film is an excellent blend of relatively new ideas mixed with exactly what was so great about the first two, and I thought Justin Lin brought his expertise (Fast & Furious films) into this franchise and did a solid job directing.

Chris Pine continues to shine as Captain James Kirk, being just as charismatic and enjoyable to watch as ever. Pine may be struggling to find his footing in some of his other films, but he has perfected the lead role in this massive franchise.

All the returning cast members are great, with Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, and the late Anton Yelchin being the standouts. Quinto as Spock just feels right, and his quick comedic moments, as well as some well-done emotion just show how well he fits the character. Urban may have been the funniest character in the film, as he nails the vast majority of his jokes as Bones while also being an interesting character to watch. Seeing Yelchin on screen was a bittersweet feeling for very obvious reasons, but I'm happy to say that he is fantastic in his final chance to play as Chekov.

The action and the comedy that has worked so well in the first two films of this franchise are back and as good as any installment before it. While I enjoyed how much it stuck with what I loved, I did enjoy the new characters, especially the villain played by Idris Elba. No spoilers, but one specific scene in this movie that I will call the "Sabotage" scene, may be one of my favorite moments in a movie this year.

The Bad

While I said I liked how familiar this movie felt to its predecessor, there is a pretty constant feel of familiarity from start to finish. Not that the energy and style of these movies are getting stale, but I do feel that Justin Lin had a shot to make this series go in a much different direction, but instead he just went a little off course and stayed in Abrams' lanes. Because of all this, sometimes Beyond just falls under the shadow of the incredible 2009 film.

The film takes quite a bit of time to pick up in pace, and I found myself pretty bored for the first fifteen to twenty minutes. Besides that, there's just some small scenes here and there that feel like they don't belong in the rest of the movie, either for being out of place or for being simply uninteresting.

Conclusion

Star Trek Beyond is a much-needed blast of energy in this incredibly dull summer film season. The action and visuals are a delight, as are all of the performances, and director Justin Lin does a solid job at not only keeping this film franchise moving but at making a truly entertaining film to watch. It may not be as great as the two films that came before it, and it all may seem familiar, but more of the same is perfectly fine with me when it comes to this series.
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