Categories Movie and Series Rating 3/5, Movie and Series Reviews 
Undeniably entertaining, but Free State of Jones does not do so in any inspired way.
A swing at an epic that falls short when you start to feel the runtime.
Massive appreciation to director Gary Ross for trying to explain what is and is not real in the movie (http://freestateofjones.info/). I am amazed the site is still up and running all these years later.
Categories Movie and Series Rating 4/5, Movie and Series Reviews 
Building off of what came before, Regan, the daughter, is now empowered and her and the movie at large are reconnecting humanity. If the first movie was about grief, sacrifice, and survival, then this one is about hope and resilience.
I’m just going to make a list here because I don’t have it in my to explain properly why I like this movie and yet have a lot of issues with it at the same time.
• Multiple times adult characters just up and leave children when everything tells us they would let them know first, if at least so that they do not follow.
• There is also a blatant misunderstanding of how a basic amplifier works and I looked really close for a battery compartment. You cannot just cut the cord off and immediately use it.
• Then there is the use of a record player as a two parter issue, one being that it is convoluted way to get attention and two being records do not just keep playing nonstop like an mp3 would. The second I can let go and assume the station had some automatic arm that was able to repeat the record.
• Oxygen tanks do not explode. Oxygen cannot make a fire, only contribute to it.
• There is a bit where a young character suddenly explores, but the characters motivation doesn’t really exist for this, and I would argue it exists in the opposite direction. I think there is a reason this scene is cut alongside another: one is good and one is not.
• The first movie showed that the creatures seemed like good swimmers. It seems retroactive to now make them die in water. It is around the hour and four minute mark in the original, the basement scene. I went back to check and the thing lowers its head in the water and slithers into it. Shallow? Sure, but that thing clearly was comfortable with water. It was submerged for almost 30 seconds of screen time. Also, Signs did it first.
That all having been said, I still enjoyed the movie and a lot of the touching sentiment was not missed on me. The list makes it seem as though I am going super hard on the movie, but I only say something because I got invested. The only truly awful thing was the amplifier, that hurt my soul. My mind says it is a 3 1/2, but my heart says to give it a 4.
Categories Movie and Series Rating 3/5, Movie and Series Reviews 
A mediocre story, pulled beyond that by its cast. The first act is the best, a lot more methodical, but it gets a bit too loose at times. I think there was an opportunity to keep momentum with the two exchanging more tricks, but all is not lost even when it loses itself a bit.
Would I rewatch it? Probably not. I also don’t feel like I wasted time though.
Categories Movie and Series Rating 0/5, Movie and Series Reviews 
Kudos to the extra who fist-ate a jar of mayo to convey their new crazed state.
Categories Movie and Series Rating 5/5, Movie and Series Reviews 
Raising children in post-apocalyptic uncertainty is a fine backdrop for parental love and sacrifice. A Quiet Place builds its characters strength off of perceived weakness.
The acting is whatever, the fights are whatever, and the characters are unlikable (or worse, uninteresting) and nothing balances that out. The movie doesn’t even have the stones to commit to a proper ending from all the build up. Gosh, I really dislike this movie.
It avoids scrutiny that normally happens because it is just two people and both feel fleshed out to make their behaviors make sense. A very unsettling film, and I may need some tubby time to wash it off.
Categories Movie and Series Rating 4/5, Movie and Series Reviews 
Fun cast and great flick. Brolin and Damon really give their roles a lot, but nobody is slouching.
Everything felt like it needed better execution. The first bit on the island also drags on a bit too long, similar to a lot of teen movies where viewing the excess is… in excess. I get that there were little things to hook on to occasionally in these moments that would come full circle but they just weren’t super catching for me. Then the time bomb goes off and it is exactly what you expect to happen. The scariest thing is our main character initially being drawn to the tech billionaire and what that all means.
This all being said, I think some people will like this movie a lot more than I did and I wouldn’t blame them. I can appreciate it, even if I did not connect with it.
Categories Movie and Series Rating 3/5, Movie and Series Reviews 
People will call this movie derivative and misinterpret that the point is the twist. I think that the movie knows it is easy to see what is coming and I think that is not the point. Watching skilled actors and considering how people feel and think, that is where the movie is.
It does trip over its own feet at times though in its simple explanation. Even still, I enjoyed myself.