Platform: Netflix

AK Review:

9/10 (very good)

A few years ago, I listened to Dan Carlin's recounting of World War I on the Hardcore History podcast and it changed the way I thought about WWI completely. To be transparent, I didn't know much about WWI prior to that podcast so it was a low bar to clear, but I digress. Anyway - WWI was basically the last large-scale imperial war and is the kind of war that I hope could not happen in the modern age. It was a brutal land battle where millions of lives were lost defending incredibly small strips of land - and it only ended, in large part, because Germany ran out of men and boys to send to war. This movie is an adaptation of a book by the same name, that was written by Erich Maria Remarque and published in 1928.

The movie reminded me of some of the scenes that Dan Carlin described in the aforementioned podcast series (Blueprint for Armageddon parts I-VI)...trench warfare in 1914-1918 must have been a uniquely terrible place to be in terms of human history. Constant shelling, constant gunfire, constant carnage - and all of that on top of the ever-present stench of decay and death, absolutely horrific intra-trench conditions and the misery of being out in the elements 24/7. This movie made me feel the hopelessness of war and also a keen sense of desperation - that we are not so far removed from that time in history as to be incapable of repeating it. The types of things that contributed to the countless lives lost could happen again. I don't think trench warfare would ever happen like that again because of modern military technology, but the senseless killing in the name of ideals, resources, or the like, is not out of the realm of the imagination. Even if you don't like war movies, this one is worth forcing yourself to watch - the book is one of those classics, and this movie will be right up there with it.

Platform: HBO Max

LJ Review:

6/10

District 9  is the science fiction breakout hit of director Neill Blomkamp (you may recognize the Producer as one Peter Jackson). The film is partly shot in a “found footage” style with much of the movie being depicted in the form of an in-universe documentary.

District 9 begins in an alternate 1982 when an alien spaceship appears above Johannesburg, South Africa. Contained within the ship are a race of weakened, insectoid aliens, dismissively referred to as “prawns”. While these aliens are found onboard the ship, they do not display the higher levels of leadership or technical know how to operate such an advanced piece of technology.

The aliens are then transported to a holding area, quickly turned slum, known as District 9 (inspired by the real-world District Six in Cape Town, South Africa). The main events of the film revolve around the forced relocation of the alien refugees from District 9 to an even worse internment camp several hundred kilometers away from human civilization via the perspective of Wilkas van de Merwe, a mid-level bureaucrat ensconced in the soulless corporation that is charged with relocating and housing the aliens.

There are many themes present in District 9, the comparisons to real world Apartheid are apparent from the start with a minority population being forced into internment zones with little regard being given for their rights. Humanity, xenophobia, and social segregation take the central stage as topics of discussion. What I would like to talk about is what I would consider to be the common thread running through these themes: the banality of evil.

The format of found footage for this film works perfectly: the first third or so of this film is more documentary than narrative; the atrocities you see perpetrated against the aliens could be real life reporting seen on the news far too often. Wilkas’s cheery, excited attitude serves as a dark contrast to the violence that he is surrounded by.

If anything, my biggest criticism of the film is that the first third is much better than the latter two thirds; the documentaryesque style falls away only to be replaced by a tired white savior narrative that is, in my opinion, only barely preserved because Wilkas remains a despicable person, only just barely managing to do the right thing in the end.

Overall this is a great first third, supported by an ok second third, and then held back by a dull last third.

Platform: Netflix

LJ Review: 

7/10 (very good)

Bullet Train is a 2022 comedic action film directed by David Leitch, who’s previous work includes John Wick, Atomic Blonde, and Deadpool 2. The film features a stacked cast including Brad Pitt, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Andrew Koji with several delightful cameos.

The premise of the film is rather simple: Brad Pitt and the rest of the cast play a varied flavors of secret agent, assassin, and mobster; all with motivations and goals that range from the simple and straightforward to the complex and opaque. The one thing they share is their objectives bring them to the eponymous bullet train that serves as the setting for the drama and bloodshed that follows.

With the director of Deadpool 2 at the helm steering an ensemble that is clearly having a lot of fun you have a well-paced, bloody good time with the most used firearm being Chekhov’s Gun; with few details set up early on that will not make a reappearance by the credits.

The issues I have with the film are minor in the grand scheme of things and seem almost nitpicky: this movie knows what it is and thrives in it. If you have the stomach for blood and violence (and a Netflix account), you’ll have a good time.

Platform: Netflix

AK Review: 

7/10 (good)

You could call this a 'sequel' to the murder mystery movie from 2019, but only because it is written and directed by the same person (Rian Johnson). The stories have nothing to do with one another but the feel of the movies is the same. There is a crime and it becomes a convoluted whodunit from there. I have to say, the acting in this movie is superb. I'm a huge Daniel Craig fan from his days as 007, and I have always enjoyed Edward Norton so for me, that was enough to get me to commit two hours to watching this movie. On top of that, there were excellent performances by Janelle Monae (love her music too!) and Kate Hudson. There were moments where it felt telegraphed, but not overly so. One thing I don't like about some mysteries is when they bring in some complete curveball at the very end that completely changes the story...they didn't fall into that trap here and I'm grateful.

If you're looking for sheer entertainment and a decently spun story, you'll enjoy this movie.

Platform: Netflix

HP Review: 

8/10 (very good)

Prisoners is not based on a true story, but it is based on Aaron Guzikowski’s short story. This movie is suspenseful and will have you guessing the ending until... yeah, the very end. The producer, Denis Villeneuve, has brought Aaron’s story to a slightly altered version onto film in a spectacular and dark way. From the editing and cinematography, the movie paints an eerie mood throughout the 2 and a half hours of recording. It stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Hugh Jackman, & Terrence Howard - to name a few.

As friends gather for dinner one day, their daughters are left playing outside of the house. The cheery and serene afternoon quickly turns into every parent’s nightmare – their children go missing. As the families desperately search all over town with the assistance of the local police and community, one of the fathers (Hugh Jackman) decides to take matters into his own hands. There’s another narrative that builds up throughout the movie as well as it follows detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) as he desperately searches for leads to find the culprit, but to also close some unsolved cases.

Overall, the movie is gripping and had my attention for the entirety of the play. There are no unexpected pop-up scares, so for the faint hearted – you’ll be okay. I also may be biased, as I love thrillers, crime, and horror, but this seemed to be one of the better movies I have watched on streaming platforms as of late. Key takeaway of the story is that, yes, these types of situations occur in real life as people are kidnapped and held captive, but there’s also a sense of inner examination and the idea of our own self becoming “prisoners” in our minds, thoughts, and other factors in this world.

Platform: Netflix

AK Review: 

9/10 (very good)

I'm giving this 9/10 because it managed to convert me into a Kung Fu movie fan. It's not a genre I would have watch prior to these movies - awhile back, a friend of mine was raving about these movies (there are 4) and so I watched and became hooked.

Ip Man was a real person (most of the movie is fiction) - he lived from 1893 to 1972 - he is famous because he was Bruce Lee's martial arts teacher. We join his story while he is a young man with a young family, living in Fo Shan prior to the start of WWII. He has a peaceful life there and it is made clear that he is the best martial artist in that town, a town which is known for its martial arts. He practices what is called "Wing Chun", an old (Southern) style of martial arts. Shortly after the invasion of China by the Japanese, Ip Man and his family are ousted from their comfortable lives and forced to exist by surviving...or at least that's the movie version of the story.

In my opinion, the best way to watch these movies is in the original Cantonese with subtitles on. The screenplay is excellent and the martial arts are convincing (I confess, I have never practiced so I have no idea if its accurate). Donnie Yen is such a great character and even if the story is highly fictionalized, his portrayal of Ip Man makes for quite a hero-figure.