Author: Verse

Reign Over Me (2007) 3.5/5

A mostly grounded experience that is carried greatly by Sandler with backup from Cheadle, Tyler, and Shadow of Colossus being notable cast. It is not an easy watch, it is heavy, but it is a worthwhile one.

The movie does lose a little of itself with the over extension of Burrows character Donna and an overly packed and overly aggressive courtroom scene that feels out of place.

Bad Times at the El Royale (2018) 3.5/5

I didn’t get peoples issue with Dakota Johnson until this movie. Surrounded by everyone giving their best and every one of her scenes was near identically flat.

That being said, there is a lot to like here. It is an enjoyable noir film with a large pool of people feeling out themes of redemption. Jon Hamm and Cynthia Erivo deserve special praise for carrying out their roles.

The Edge (1997) 3/5

Not without problems or aspects to roll my eyes at, but still a fun flick nonetheless. I do wish the characters were a little better managed but the bear is incredible to see and a google search tells me it is the second time Hopkins has worked with the bear turned bear-actor.

Judas and the Black Messiah (2021) 4.5/5

It must have been incredibly hard to balance this movie. I can’t fault the age of the actors too much vs the real life people when no doubt they probably got people in seats and the movie made. Everyone is on their game and the story carefully balances how much of each character we get. I did feel a little longing for more knowledge of the politics in it but I appreciate the movie nonetheless.

A Haunting in Venice (2023) 3.5/5

The twists aren’t so twisty, overly telegraphed to the point of being easy to see. However, the movie stays afloat above its necessity for subterfuge with careful direction and captivating atmosphere.

A house/hospital full of stuck people, literally and figuratively, makes a strong setting.

It is funny that you can walk away from the movie thinking Poirot gives some credence to mysticism or that you think he gives zero and everything can be explained. It makes for a little extra engagement.

I have a real soft spot for these movies. Even flawed, Hercule Poirot and Branagh are an attractive pair.

Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) 2.5/5

It felt odd for the movie to not have Lisa Eilbacher as Jenny in some capacity. I think it would have worked better if Axel stayed with her while in town rather than the whole shakily done house acquisition thing that didn’t really deliver the laughs.

II Has sometimes transcends parts of the original, but it has trouble maintaining any momentum it gets. The dialogue gets sloppy, with characters repeating information the others would already know. The villain has an actual motivation but it is not leaned into so instead of Casino Royal we get mustache twirly.

Rosewood is fun to see escalate but the last ten minutes of the movie goes too hard and the action is very sloppy. It is really the ending that shaves off another half star. Sloppy action can be said for most of the movie though, it really is the whole way the finale was written. Too quick, too little, and too much somehow all at once.

Having said all that, I don’t regret watching the movie. I think there is some strong moments in the earlier half.

Beverly Hills Cop (1984) 3.5/5

A classic movie for a lot of reasons. Eddie is great and so are all of the supporting cast, even down the smaller roles that elevate the film. The soundtrack is rightfully iconic. A lot of tropes keep the story very basic, but it dances around it in an enjoyable way.

There are some lulls in the movement though and not every scene is timed well, but overall it is a lot of fun.

District 9 (2009) 3.5/5

Copley deserves all the praise he gets for his role. The movie is certainly unique and gets a lot of love for that alone. A lot of the parts waver in quality, hitting highs and lows. Overall though I think its worth any science fiction fans time and probably from a lot of people who aren’t.