Some Dude Reviews Movies

[Insert Artwork Here] I am not a Star Wars purist. I am a fan, though. I grew up watching the OG trilogy, and came of age going to the prequels. I've experienced the newest trilogy as an adult. I thought Force Awakens (2015) was pretty good. I really liked The Last Jedi (2017). I was always going to see this movie. But the initial glut of online reviews came out hot and heavy, immediately splitting the universe into angry hand-shakers and celebratory revelers. For every scathing, savage jeremiad, I read an equally loving, fawning ode. So was I going to love this thing, or hate it? How was I to parse the truth of the matter? I had to go watch it. I. What Is It? It's the ninth damn movie in the main Star Wars saga. II. It's Still Star Wars JJ Abrams knows how to shoot a movie. He has a gift for dynamic photography and epic tableaus. See the towering waves crashing against the wrecked skeleton of the Death Star; see the funky, multicolored Bur...

I've liked Noah Baumbach's work since I saw his 2005 dramedy,  The Squid and the Whale. His stories are suffused with heartache and complexity, but girded by a keen sense of humor. His characters are awful and beautiful and human. Marriage Story (2019) has been garnering a lot of buzz. And it's finally available to stream on Netflix. So I grabbed a tissue box, settled in for the night, and turned on the movie. I. What Is It? This is the story of Charlie (Adam Driver) and Nichole (Scarlett Johansson) and the slow-burn destruction of their marriage. It's about the ugliness we inflict on others when we are in deep pain. It's about a legal system that pours gasoline on volatile situations and allows the people involved to immolate themselves. It's about love and loss and parenthood and communication. II. Showcase For its Leads Scarlett Johnasson is an incredible actor. So is Adam Driver. This movie is a solid showcase for their immens...

The Pokemon franchise, in all of its various forms, has had a huge impact on my life. I remember buying Blue Version some 21 years ago at a Circuit City. I watched the anime every morning before school. I spent every last cent of my allowance money on booster packs for the card game, and even trekked to the mall to try and defeat a gym-leader with my ill-conceived deck. I ate inordinate amounts of Burger King food in order to obtain a Mew promotional card. I downloaded a ROM in college to play and replay games in between finals. I giddily walked around my apartment complex, trying to catch monsters, when Pokemon Go was released. I love and have loved this series. I said all of that to say this: Detective Pikachu (2019) is a bad movie and it hurt my heart. I. What Is It? This is the story of a kid whose name I can't remember trying to find his missing father... blah blah blah Mewtwo blah blah blah Ryan Reynolds. II. Momentarily Breathtaking The opening ...

Martin Scorsese may have some problematic views about what is and isn't considered "cinema," but the man is, unquestionably, one of the best filmmakers of his generation, and still one of the finest craftsmen working today. So as much as I didn't like what he had to say about the MCU, I was always, always going to watch The Irishman (2019). Even knowing full well that the film was a staggering three-and-a-half hours I. What Is It? This is the story of Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro), a teamster turned Philadelphia made-man. After proving his bona fides, Frank is assigned as a body man for crooked union boss, Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino). That assignment, and Hoffa's fiery temper, will lead the men down a path riddled with corruption and the bodies of friends and foes alike. II. A Mob Epic This movie plays out similar to a mobster Forrest Gump : Frank wanders in and out of key moments in American history, from WWII, to the Bay of Pigs, the K...