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tgregoryknox
Reviews
Dune: Part Two (2024)
Dune++
I quickly became a fan of Dune after a buddy of mine told me to give the Dune (1984) movie a watch. My first - uneducated - response to him was "It reminds me of a Star Wars ripoff." He quickly got me up to speed on the history of Dune and I read the first book. I became hooked.
When Dune: Part One first came out I had to watch it on IMAX first. I've since watched it over a dozen times. An epic movie that I feel did a great job of sticking to the book while also moving around some elements for cinematic effect and to not overload the audiences with all of the characters of Dune.
Dune: Part Two also did a great job of sticking to the book and really hyped up the battle scenes. The characters, for the most part, also gained a lot more depth and building in this second movie.
A part of me wishes I knew nothing of the books to watch the films as they unfold. Since I already know what happens I'm not as surprised where things end up. It'd be like going into Star Wars already knowing Vader is Luke's father. Still a fantastic movie, but you lose some of the "woah!" factor.
Regardless, I really enjoyed the movie and I've already preordered it. And I plan on watching it a dozen times as well.
Argylle (2024)
Literary Intrigue Meets Action: Unpacking the Charm of Argylle
I went into this movie with zero expectations. If I had to sun this movie up in a few words it'd be action, whimsical, and odd.
It felt like a mix between John Wick, Fast and the Furious, and any Will Ferrel movie.
The premise is pretty neat. An author is writing a spy novel that ends up being the key to what happens next in reality - or is it?
Sam Rockwell did great in this film. He played his character wonderfully. The cat looked great in parts and other parts seemed like obvious CGI. And maybe played a larger role than needed but maybe that's what they were going for.
I don't feel it's high on my "rewatch list" but if they make a sequel I may check it out.
Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
Marrying for money? No way.
Maybe I went into this film with too high of hopes, but I didn't really enjoy this movie. Many of the cuts felt out of context and had no real explanation of what had occurred or how much time had passed.
Some of the acting and accents seemed out of place, and I didn't really get why the movie ended how it did. Unless it was some homage to maybe how the story was originally told.
The plot can basically be boiled down to: people marrying to inherit money with a guy trying to speed that process along.
There were some fun cameos, but overall this isn't a movie (especially at 3.5 hours long) I see myself rewatching.
Sr. (2022)
A touching tribute to a groundbreaking filmmaker
Robert Downey Jr. Created a very sweet tribute to his father, who was an indie filmmaker and inspired Jr. To get into film. I felt this was more of a tribute to Sr. "the filmmaker" than just a documentary about either of them and their relationship together. Although it does touch on some of that.
I think the story of Robert Downey Jr. And his father is a very interesting one and I would've liked to have seen that explored more, but again, I don't think this was that type of film.
His father clearly inspired him and was a giant stepping stone that helped create the foundation for Jr.'s career.
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
Suspend disbelief and enjoy a clever AI story
This is another one of those series of movies where you have to suspend disbelief, just enjoy the action, and try to get into the story. I had binge watched the first 4 before catching 5 in the theaters. I missed this one in theaters but still wanted to catch it.
I thought this story was pretty clever, and that could be I follow AI very closely. A lot of the scenarios presented in the film won't be too far fetched in the extremely near future.
Tom is a classic actor and probably one of the last great movie theater stars who is out there still making hits.
I may watch this movie again just to pick up on some of the things I may have missed the first time. I don't see myself buying it though.
Napoleon (2023)
Napoleon in Bill and Ted was better
I went into this movie blind and ignorant. Both in terms of the film and the details of Napoleon's history and battles. Most of my knowledge of Napoleon comes from Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.
During so many scenes I had to ask myself "Who are these people and did that moment actually happen, or is this another Hollywood embellishment?" A cannonball through his horse? A shot through his hat? Who are those two girls sword fighting at the end? What happened to his wife's lover?
And of course... WHAT IS UP WITH THE ACCENTS?!
It felt like bits of information were left out or tossed in with no explanation as to why.
The effects and action were really good and I felt everyone did a good job acting, for the most part, but the story is what lost me.
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019)
A high-octane and everlasting genre
I like action movies. I know John Wick fits into a particular category, and for me it's somewhere between The Fast and the Furious and Indiana Jones.
The choreography, stunt work, and action in this movie are undeniable. Apparently, Keanu heavily trained with the various weapons so he knew Wick was handling them properly. It definitely appeared that way on screen.
Solid music that kept the action moving. Very Matrix-esque.
I think John Wick is in one of those genres where you can make a dozen or more sequels and there'll always be some sort of fan base for it. I haven't watched the 4th one yet, but I already know what I'm getting into.
A Man Called Otto (2022)
An old grumpy man ends up having a heart
This was a sweet movie with a fairly predictable story (old grumpy man who ends up having a heart), but it did a great job building emotions and character development with Otto using the flashbacks. Some of the story and characters got a little cheesy as they tried to toss in a little light-hearted "humor", but that didn't stop me from having a few tears.
Great choice on having Tom's son play the younger Otto, and they both did well keeping the same vibe and cadence of Otto across eras.
I would have liked to have seen maybe a little more going on with Otto and his wife in their later years. I spent the majority of the film assuming she had passed when they were younger, and we really didn't get see how they were as they were older, but maybe that was the point.
The Creator (2023)
Visually stunning and an entertaining story, and some déjà vu
This movie looks great (Dune and Batman cinematographers) and I enjoyed the story. AI seemingly goes rogue and nukes humans, the humans fight back, and there's a secret weapon that can end the conflict and bring the lead's wife back.
To me, this story felt like a mix of The Golden Child, Ex Machina (the ending), and Blade Runner. There were some holes that bugged me (knowing to turn the little statue, for example) and there were some cliche moments, but overall a fun movie.
The characters (other than Alphie) aren't very memorable and I wasn't necessarily rooting for or against anyone. In the end, they are just machines being turned off.