lbrownfi92's Reviews

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

10/10

Return of the King (2003)

6 August 2023

The final film in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Return of the King is absolutely epic. Epically long, too, as the extended edition that I'm watching is nearly four and a half hours in length.

All of the films have incredible, groundbreaking visuals, but this one is the absolute pinnacle. I think this film's score is also the best of all three - it's the most complex and emotional. The combination of the visual aspect and the soundtrack are just mind-blowing to me.

As with the previous films, I'll repeat that the cast is perfect. I love every single character and they were all cast so well.

This isn't just a good film for fans of fantasy, it's genuinely one of the best films ever made. Peter Jackson brought the world of Middle-Earth to life in a truly incredible way. This film - and the trilogy - will forever be among my absolute favorites.

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The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

10/10

The Two Towers (2002)

6 August 2023

This sequel to The Fellowship of the Ring is everything a sequel should be. It maintains the charm and whimsical nature of the first film but builds on it in all the right ways.

As with the first film, the casting is exceptional. The new actors for characters such as Theoden (Bernard Hill) and Eowyn (Miranda Otto) are excellent.

The Two Towers builds on the stunning visuals of the the first with new lands such as Rohan and new CGI (I'm referencing Gollum mostly). And the film's score adds new themes while keeping the iconic soundtrack from the previous film.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the absolutely incredible battle at Helm's Deep. It's one of the most iconic and intense fantasy movie battles I've ever seen, and no matter how many times I watch it, it's still just as thrilling as the first time.

The film is the perfect stepping stone between the first and third films in the trilogy, but it's much more than just an in-between placeholder. It's an exceptionally well-crafted film all on its own.

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The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

10/10

The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

6 August 2023

A pure cinematic masterpiece and the beginning to one of my all-time favorite trilogies. It deserves its place as one of the greatest fantasy films of our time.

From its beautiful sets and landscapes to the otherworldly score by Howard Shore, the film builds an entire fantastical world, one of which I think Tolkien would've been quite proud.

One of its greatest strengths, though, is its cast. Every single character is cast perfectly, even those who are only on screen for a few minutes.

There's simply so much to love about this film, and I know it'll remain a classic for many, many years to come.

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Oppenheimer (I) (2023)

10/10

Oppenheimer (2023)

1 August 2023

I'm pleased to say that Oppenheimer lived up to the hype. It's an all-around solid movie with really great strengths.

The cast was wonderful. This is some of Cillian Murphy's best acting, hands-down. I forgot that he wasn't actually Oppenheimer at moments. Emily Blunt (Kitty) and Florence Pugh (Jean Tatlock) were good, but even better was Robert Downey, Jr. (Strauss) who deserves an award for his performance in the film.

The pacing was perfect, which is vital for a 180-minute long movie. I never felt the story stall or became bored or restless, despite it being such a long movie.

The sounds and visuals in this film are mind-blowing. I was specifically in awe of the detonation scene; the seconds that ticked by between seeing the bomb and hearing the bomb were immensely powerful and moving. The bomb scene, while vitally important to the film, only takes up a few minutes. What's important, though, is that thought and care that went into that scene is present throughout the film.

This is some of Nolan's best work and I'm thoroughly impressed by it. I was worried that it was being overhyped, but it was everything that was promised and more.

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Prey (I) (2022)

8/10

Prey (2022)

22 July 2023

Having just watched the previous films in the Predator series, I went into this expecting more or less the same - and I'm so happy that I was wrong.

Prey is excellent by any standard, and I believe it is the best in the series. It's fresh and unique, with the story centering around an indigenous woman's fight to protect her people, but also to be seen for the skilled hunter that she is.

Amber Midthunder, who plays the main character Naru, is phenomenal and does an incredible job bringing the story to life.

The landscapes are exceptionally beautiful, and when combined with Sarah Schachner's powerful score, the viewer is transported into the world and the story.

I'm disappointed that this isn't a film I could've watched on the big screen, as it was released directly to streaming. This is a genuine disservice to the movie, because I can only imagine how much more intense it would've been in a cinema.

Overall, it's an exceptionally unique take on a franchise that had become tired and stale. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of watching Prey and I hope that future films take note of what made it so good.

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Blade Runner (1982)

8/10

Blade Runner (1982)

17 July 2023

Listed on IMDb's top 250 and hailed by critics as groundbreaking, I can understand why Blade Runner is loved by many.

Harrison Ford as Deckard and Rutger Hauer as Batty are perfect, and I can see why this was considered to be a career-defining role for Hauer.

The incredible visuals and the film's score combine to create an incredible futuristic world - one that is a fascinating 1982 take on what 2019 could look like. The entire aesthetic is genuinely pretty incredible. Personally, I'm simply impressed by the sci-fi world that was created a decade before I was born and how well it holds up this many years later.

In our world today, we understand more about what it means to be human than perhaps ever before. As technology continues to advance, we would do well to consider the existential and ethical questions posed by Blade Runner.

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Prometheus (I) (2012)

7/10

More than Meets the Eye

15 July 2023

Prometheus is certainly more than meets the eye.

I was pleasantly surprised by the film in numerous ways. The visuals are impressive, from the landscapes to the design of the ships. The cast was excellent; exceptionally noteworthy was Michael Fassbender, but all of them were cast perfectly for their roles. The story is interesting and compelling and the action is consistently intense and riveting.

It poses larger questions, too, and grapples with themes such as creation versus destruction, and selfishness versus sacrifice. In questioning why the Engineers chose to create then destroy, one has to ask themselves why us humans do the same thing.

So many movies of this same type suffer from bad visuals, a bad cast, or bad writing. But I'm happy that this film avoided those pitfalls, because it was genuinely enjoyable to watch.

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The Cloverfield Paradox (2018)

4/10

Could've and Should've Been Better

15 July 2023

I wanted The Cloverfield Paradox to be better. I really did. While it brought together the plot of the two previous films in an overarching sense, it unfortunately failed to deliver on its own.

The cast was... okay. Gugu Mbatha-Raw was good as Hamilton, but the two who stood out to me were Ziyi Zhang as Tam and Elizabeth Debicki as Jensen. Others just fell flat, especially Chris O'Dowd's Mundy, who just seemed altogether misplaced.

The film uses recycled sci-fi tropes and seems more like a very bad spin on Event Horizon than anything else. It's not scary or violent enough to be a horror movie; I found myself wishing for something a little more gruesome, to be honest, because I think it would've made the film actually stand out.

The writing is just plain bad. They flirt with science while never actually saying anything that makes sense, hoping nobody notices. And the comedic moments - if you can even call them that - are terribly misplaced and just plain unfunny.

All in all, a disappointment because it could and should have been better.

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Winter Boy (2022)

10/10

Exceptional

10 May 2023

Rarely do I come across a film that is so emotionally visceral that I genuinely feel the grief and joy, the chaos and peace, and every moment in between. Le Lycéen is one.

Paul Kircher is truly phenomenal as Lucas, a character with whom you feel grateful to have experienced each moment. His performance is award-worthy, and I look forward to what he'll do next, because I know it will be wonderful. Juliette Binoche plays her role of Lucas' mother with excellence and poise and her performance must be seen to be fully appreciated.

The story is beautiful in its simplicity. It touches deeply, and though I haven't shared Lucas' experience, the film made me almost believe I had.

It's been a long time since I've sat through the credits of a movie in thought, just for the simple purpose of continuing to feel what the film made me feel. I was saddened as the screen finally faded to black, because somehow I had found the hope that it wouldn't end and that we'd continue for just a few moments longer.

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Tenet (2020)

4/10

Disappointing

26 April 2023

Warning: Spoilers

I don't get it, and I'm not talking about the mechanics of the movie here. I understand that. What I don't get is why people like this film so much. It's not a particularly unique story, the acting isn't good, and the plot feels weak.

First, the story isn't unique. Sure, it plays a bit with time moving in both directions simultaneously rather than a Back-to-the-Future-type of linear time travel. But still. It doesn't feel like a fresh idea.

The acting is frankly lackluster. I don't particularly like the Protagonist (John David Washington), nor the Antagonist (Kenneth Branagh, who I know for a fact is capable of more). The only good performances in the film come from Robert Pattinson and Elizabeth Debicki, but they're both underutilized in favor of focus on the Protagonist.

The plot needs more support. I wouldn't say that it has holes, because I think that's fairly well covered, and that's something the film does well. But it seems like an afterthought (spoiler) to explain the true nature of the "plutonium" halfway through. Certain characters get virtually no development and are very one-dimensional. There are no real overarching themes - no critique of society or humanity, really nothing deeper than what you see on screen.

Overall, a disappointment, especially given the overwhelmingly positive reviews it received. I wish it had been better.

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Automata (I) (2014)

4/10

An interesting premise, but a jumbled plot.

13 April 2023

I have to agree with the critics' reviews on this one. I expected something better with Antonio Banderas in the lead, but was unfortunately disappointed. What was an interesting premise was lost among the jumbled, poorly-explained plot.

Rotten Tomatoes: "Beautiful to look at but narratively hollow, Autómata short-circuits its handful of intriguing ideas with an overload of sci-fi clichés."

Jay Weissberg of Variety called it "a dystopic mess" that borrows from numerous science fiction films.

Jonathan Holland of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "The overwrought, uncontrolled sci-fi thriller Automata is a disappointing example of a film that lacks the imagination to follow persuasively through on its engaging initial premise."

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Mortal Engines (2018)

9/10

More than Meets the Eye

11 September 2020

I'll admit that I was skeptical before watching Mortal Engines, but I was happily surprised. This film is certainly more than meets the eye at first glance, and is deeper than the trailer would lead one to believe. I very rarely write reviews, but this deserves one.

Yes, there are fantastic action sequences; yes, the CGI is wonderful. Despite some familiar tropes, the film keeps one's attention. But beyond this, it's a story about the dangers of pride, corruption, and mindless exploitation and consumerism. It is a refreshing critique of imperialism and the notion of Western superiority.

With a well-chosen cast, the film encourages questioning the status quo, and depicts its vital importance. It is a resounding illustration of the virtues of compassion, unity, life, and yes - love. Love of friends, of family, of culture, and of peace.

I highly encourage anyone who is on the fence about watching Mortal Engines to take the time to see it, even if only for the enthralling action. But more than this, I urge viewers to think critically about the purpose of the story - and perhaps discover deeper truths within.

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Salt (2010)

7/10

Decent Movie, Fast-Paced

7 June 2019

Warning: Spoilers

"Salt" is a pretty decent movie, fast-paced, and exciting. It certainly keeps one's interest. I'm rating it 7/10 for two reasons. First, it's not very original. Second, the actor who plays the President of the United States has to be the worst actor I've ever seen. He talks with absolutely no feeling or conviction, and he constantly looks dumbstruck by something. It's truly distracting for any part of the movie in which he's featured... which is about the entire last third of the movie.

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