Movie Review: Knives Out (2019)

Good day to everyone!

I hope that you are all staying safe and healthy! Today I am going to review for you the latest movie that I saw in the theater, and that was back in January. I love mysteries and this one was a fun time. I hope that you enjoy this review!

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning. This is spoiler free!


Knives Out (2019):

"The guy practically lives in a Clue board."
The famous detective Benoit Blanc is hired by an anonymous person to further investigate the suicide of the 85 year old mystery writer Harlan Thrombey. He finds that Harlan's family aren't telling him everything and tension grows as Harlan's will is going to be read. He finds himself in a mystery equal to the ones the man used to write, but is there a solution?
"I keep waiting for the big reveal."

Genre: Mystery, Crime, Drama.
Length: approx. 131 minutes.
Costumes: 8, just usual clothing.
Script: 5, so there was a lot of swearing. There are quite a few arguments where people yell bad words. One insult that I thought was hilarious was "Weak sauce."
Crew:
Directed by: Rian Johnson.
Written by: Rian Johnson.
Starring:
Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc.

Christopher Plummer as Harlan Thrombey. "You had to find a game to play with him."

Michael Shannon as Walt Thrombey.
Riki Lindhome as Donna Thrombey.
Jaeden Martell as Jacob Thrombey.

Toni Collette as Joni Thrombey.

Katherine Langford as Meg Thrombey.

Jamie Lee Curtis as Linda Drysdale.
Don Johnson as Richard Drysdale.
Chris Evans as Ransom Drysdale.
Ana de Armas as Marta Cabrera.
Edi Patterson as Fran.
K Callan as Greatnana Wanetta.
Noah Segan as Trooper Wagner.
LaKeith Stanfield as Lieutenant Elliott.
Frank Oz as Alan Stevens.
Cinematography: 10, I'm going to give it a 10 because it was really cool to me. Most movies I think about the cinematography afterwards and say, "Eh, it was the normal." But it is rare that I find a movie where while watching it I think, "Wow! This is so neat!" Yep, those stick with me and this did exactly that. I love the aesthetic that goes with it and from the first it pulled me in.
Cinematography by: Steve Yedlin.

Music: 9, this music, like the cinematography, helped get me hooked! My first comment to my sister who went with me was "Creepy music!" (and that was a compliment). The score has a great amount of mystery, tension, and surprise, while being a little spooky at times.
Music by: Nathan Johnson.
"Physical evidence can tell a clear story with a forked tongue."
Quotes: 7, okay, so the reason that this has a lower rating is because of this one time where the dialogue was trying to sound really cool, but it didn't work and was hilarious to me.
It's when Jodi asks Benoit, "Do you suspect foul play?" There is a pause, then he replies, "I suspect foul play." She literally just asked you that, you could have just answered yes. Or, she could have asked, "Do you think something's wrong?" then he could have been all dramatic with the answer. Usually I'm not this picky, so I was surprised that I noticed this. Other than that, my sister and I quote this a lot, but I can't put most of them here because they are spoilers.
Oscars won: It was nominated for Best Original Screenplay, and I thought it was going to win because to me it was more complicated than another mystery Gosford Park (2001) which won the award in 2001, but it didn't.
Content: 6, it is a mystery involving death and some violence, scary scenes, along with a lot of smoking. Another thing is that one character vomits a few times, so there are several disgusting times. There are also one or two suggestive and racist comments.

Source

Originality: 8, this was an epic mystery. The way it was told was so great, I can't recall seeing anything like it! But, one note is about a name. When my sisters and I were little my mom would sometimes read us Choose Your Own Adventure stories, and our favorite was Who Killed Harlowe Thrombey? - by Edward Packard. When we heard about this movie for the first time, we immediately thought of this book. This movie is a mystery about a man who has died named Harlan Thrombey. I don't think that you can get much closer than that! While it is pitched as an original story and I really liked it, I'm suspicious about the coincidence.

Good For: Mystery fans!
Age Range: It's rated PG-13 and I agree with that just because of what the language and content that I mentioned. As always, it depends on each person's comfort level.
Overall Score: 8!
"Close the book with a flourish."
Bonus thoughts:
I went to see this because of the great cast and director Rian Johnson (who directed one of my favorite STAR WARS movies, The Last Jedi (2017)), and came out really impressed. My older sister and I had talked about what we thought was going to happen but we weren't ready for this. Ah, it was so good! I mean, my only problem with it was all the bad words and smoking, but other than that it is one of my favorite mysteries because while it is a fun time and complicated, it also has a great message.
I'd never seen Daniel Craig in anything, but he did such a great job, I totally wasn't expecting it. And, he pulled off a southern accent!

I need to talk about Marta. She is now one of my favorite fictional characters! She is so sweet, kind, honest, and great. If nothing else that I have said has convinced you, you should all watch this for her.



Thanks for reading this far! Now I need to know if any of you have seen this! What are your thoughts? If you haven't, does this look interesting to you now? Stay safe everyone! And, Happy Mother's Day!

MovieCritic

Movie Review: What About Bob? (1991)

"Good morning, Gill. I said, good morning, Gill!"
(More like "Good evening, everyone. I said, good evening, everyone!)

Okay, I am finally going to do it. I have had this review in my drafts for such a long time, and now it is finally going to see the light of day! I hope you all enjoy!

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning.

What About Bob? (1991):

"Why don't I start?"
Bob is a really friendly person, but to put it simply, he has problems. It seems like no psychiatrists can help him, until he finds Dr. Leo Marvin. Bob starts to feel a sense of peace, but Dr. Leo leaves for his summer vacation. After a lot of effort, Bob figures out where he went, and steps outside of his comfort zone to go there. Dr. Leo is frustrated that Bob lied to him, and now won't go away! Will Bob stop being afraid, or will Dr. Leo's vacation be "ruined"?
"You won't go away!"

Genre: Comedy.

Length: approx. 99 minutes.

Costumes: 7, I mean, there is nothing great, but nothing bad. There is one time when someone isn't wearing a lot.

Script: 5, there is swearing. Bob has a theory that "If I fake it I don't have it.", so sometimes he fakes having tourette's syndrome by screaming curses.
"It's so right that you and I have come together."

Crew:

Directed by: Frank Oz.

Written by: Tom Schulman, Alvin Sargent, & Laura Ziskin.

Starring:

Bill Murray as Bob Wiley. "I feel good, I feel great, I feel wonderful..."

Richard Dreyfuss as Dr. Leo Marvin.

Julie Hagerty as Fay Marvin.
Charlie Korsmo as Sigmund "Siggy" Marvin.

Kathryn Erbe as Anna Marvin.

Fran Brill as Lily Marvin.
Tom Aldredge as Mr. Guttman.
Susan Willis as Mrs. Guttman.
Roger Bowen as Phil.
Doris Belack as Dr. Catherine Tomsky.

Cinematography: 7, once again, nothing amazing.

Cinematography by: Michael Ballhaus.

Music: 6, pretty forgettable, because I can't remember it right now!

Music by: Miles Goodman.

Quotes: 10! My family and I quote this all the time!
"Baby steps. Baby steps out of the office."

Notes: there is a reference to Singin' in the Rain (1952), which I appreciate because it is my favorite movie! There is also one for The Brady Bunch.

Storyline: 7, there is someone acting in violent ways to another person, it talks about trying to kill someone, talk of suicide, gross things, there is a mention of divorce, and a few suggestive things.
"You're saying I'm all tied up inside."

Good For: People who have many phobias, anyone who likes comedy.

Age Range: I think I first saw this when I was about 12, but I think anyone over 10 would find it funny. For someone younger, they might like it, but they might not get it.

Overall Score: 7.

Bonus thoughts:

This is not my favorite movie but it is really funny, and will always make me laugh. Bob is scared of everything, and we can all relate to being scared of different things. What we learn with this movie is that there is always something worse. But don't be scared of that! Live your life and don't be afraid to swim because you might drown, just learn to do it the proper way. Don't do everything based on "what ifs".Just try not to get other people angry at you, okay?


There you go! As I said, I have had this draft for months, and today is finally the day it is published!

Thanks for reading! Have you seen this movie?

MovieCritic

Movie Review: STAR WARS III: The Revenge of the Sith (2005)

Hello, there!

Long time, no see!

Okay, so when do I ever do two posts in a row? That is a good question. And, I never do STAR WARS reviews randomly, I always have it on a special day. That is a really good observation. So what am I doing here today?

You know how yesterday was STAR WARS day because it was "May the Fourth be with you"?


Well, today is Revenge of the Fifth.




(Get it? I really hope you all think that it is hilarious or something because I have been waiting two years to use that.)


Because of this, I will be reviewing Episode III: The Revenge of the Sith.

Confession time: This was the first STAR WARS movie that I saw part of. It wasn't my fault, I was really little and my dad was watching it and I happened to be in the same room. Now, this could have been really bad, because the part that I saw was really filled with spoilers. But, I was so little that I didn't remember it. All of what I knew about STAR WARS were that they had weird colored swords. When we finally watched the original trilogy I loved it! We watched the prequels, and then I started to get Deja Vu. I remembered that I had seen it before!

Now, to avoid a disaster, like the one I nearly had, watch them in this order:
IV: A New Hope (1977), V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980), VI: Return of the Jedi (1983), I: The Phantom Menace (1999), II: Attack of the Clones (2002), III: Revenge of the Sith (2005), VII: The Force Awakens (2015), and VIII: The Last Jedi (2017).

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning.

STAR WARS III: The Revenge of the Sith (2005):

"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..."
We are in the midst of war. With everyone searching for the evil General Grievous, the Jedi feel uneasy. They assign Anakin Skywalker to spy on Chancellor Palpatine, but he feels like that would be betraying his friend. Before he has had nightmares that have come true, so when he starts to have some about someone he loves the most, he panics. With Obi-Wan on the trail of General Grievous, and other Jedi spread through out the universe, commanding the Clone army, Anakin has no one to turn to. He feels like no one trusts him, so who can he trust? Will his choice change him for the better, or for the worse?
"Have you ever thought that we may be on the wrong side?"

Genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy.

Length: approx. 140 minutes.

Costumes: 8, nothing great, but nothing bad.

Costumes by: Trisha Biggar.

Script: 9, no bad words.

'"I sense a trap."

"Next move?"

"Spring the trap."'

Crew:

Directed by: George Lucas.

Written by: George Lucas.

Starring:
Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker. "Use your feelings, Anakin, something is out of place."

Natalie Portman as Padmé Amidala.

Ian McDiarmid as Chancellor Palpatine. "All who gain power are afraid to lose it."
Frank Oz as the voice of Yoda.
Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu.

Anthony Daniels as C-3PO.
Kenny Baker as R2-D2.
Jimmy Smits as Bail Organa.
Matthew Wood as the voice of General Grievous.

Christopher Lee as Count Dooku.
Temuera Morrison as Commander Cody.
Joel Edgerton as Owen Lars.
Bonnie Piesse as Beru Lars.

Cinematography: 7, some of the fight scenes are a little weird, and there is some bad CGI.

Cinematography by: David Tattersall.

Music: 10!!

Music by: John Williams.

Quotes: 8, not as quotable as the other movies, but it still has some good lines.
"So this is how liberty dies: with thunderous applause."

NOTE/Age Range: This movie is rated PG-13 and for good reason. There is a lot of violence and scary images, like, really scary. I have know kids who are under 13 and watched it and were fine, but just be aware of that.

Storyline: 5, there is death, fighting, violence, loss of limbs, torture, killing, suggestive things, kissing, gross things. As I said above, it is PG-13.

'"Hold your fire! You're not helping here."

"I agree, bad idea."'

Good For: STAR WARS fans, people who like to know the back story.

Overall Score: 7.5.

Bonus thoughts:
Warning, this movie is really sad. Be prepared. It will make you scream, "You're breaking my heart!" This is a cautionary tale, more so than any of the others. I know that it must be hard to come up with back story, and George Lucas did a pretty good job, but he also left plot holes between this an Episode VI. A lot of plot holes.


Well, what do you think of this movie? If you love the prequels, do you still like this one even though it is sad? Tell me all of your thoughts!

Thanks for reading this post today, on "Revenge of the Fifth!"

MovieCritic

Movie Review: STAR WARS II: Attack of the Clones (2002)

Hello STAR WARS fans!

In case any of you didn't know, today is STAR WARS day! Why? Because we say:

"May the Fourth be with you!"

May 4th, just so happens to be today! Because of that, I'll be reviewing the second episode in the series. If you are not familiar with STAR WARS, you might be wondering why I am reviewing them "out of order". The answer: I am reviewing them in the way that they were made. I am such a huge fan of STAR WARS, and I cannot emphasize how important it is for you to watch them in the following order: IV: A New Hope (1977), V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980), VI: Return of the Jedi (1983), I: The Phantom Menace (1999), II: Attack of the Clones (2002), III: Revenge of the Sith (2005), VII: The Force Awakens (2015), and VIII: The Last Jedi (2017). If you don't, some really awesome things will be spoiled.

That being said, there will be no spoilers in this post because:

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning.

Now, let's get to the review!

"What took you so long?"

I've been busy.

STAR WARS II: Attack of the Clones (2002):

"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far, away..."
Senator Amadala has received threats on her life multiple times where she barely escaped. Because a huge decision is going on the Jedi Council assign Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and his padawan Anikan Skywalker to keep her safe. When things get really serious, they split up, Anakin taking Senator Amadala back to her home planet of Naboo, and Obi-Wan trying to find out who is trying to kill her. Will things turn out more serious than the Jedi could have ever imagined?
"Do you think it will really come to war?"

Genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Romance.

Length: approx. 142 minutes.

Costumes: 6, it went from a little over the top last time, to a little "under the top" in this one.

Costumes designed by: Trisha Biggar.

My favorite:

Script: 8, the script is pretty good, no bad words. The problem I have is that the actors all seem like they are just reading their lines, it isn't that smooth.
'"Sorry master, I forgot that you don't like flying."
"I don't mind flying, but what you're doing is suicide!"'
(Later) "Oh blast! This is why I hate flying."

Crew:

Directed by: George Lucas.

Written by: George Lucas & Jonathan Hales.

Starring:
Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi. "Why do I get the feeling that you are going to be the death of me?"

Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker. "You are focusing on the negative, Ani, be mindful of your thoughts."
Natalie Portman as Padme Amidala.

Ian McDiarmid as Chancellor Palpatine.
Christopher Lee as Count Dooku.
Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu.
Frank Oz as the voice of Yoda.
Anthony Daniels as C-3PO.

Kenny Baker as R2-D2. "Don't worry, we have R2 with us." (This is true, because R2 is the true hero of all STAR WARS.)
Temuera Morrison as Jango Fett.

Daniel Logan as Boba Fett.
Pernilla August as Shmi Skywalker.
Joel Edgerton as Owen Lars.
Leeanna Walsman as Zam Wesell.
Ahmed Best as Delegate Jar Jar Binks.
Jimmy Smits as Bail Organa.
Oliver Ford Davies as Sio Bibble.

Cinematography: 5, this CGI is so, so bad! It seriously looks like it is animated. And it is confusing in some parts with where we are.

See what I mean?

Cinematography by: David Tattersall.

Music: 10!! Oh, I love it! I'm not a huge fan of "Across the Stars", but it is nice.

Music by: John Williams.

Quotes: 10, anything Obi-Wan says is so quotable!
'"You wanna buy some death sticks?"
"You don't want to sell me death sticks."

"I don't want to sell you death sticks."

"You want to go home and rethink your life."

"I want to go home and rethink my life."'

Storyline: 7, there is fighting, violence, loss of limbs, death, gross things, kissing, and suggestive things.
'"I guess I was wrong, there was no danger after all" *explosions*'

Good For: STAR WARS fans, people who are struggling with growing.

Age Range: This has a lot of violence, but I would say anyone over 9 would be fine.
'"Your senses aren't that well attuned, my young apprentice."

"And yours are?"

"Possibly."'

Overall Score: 7.5.

Bonus thoughts:
This is such a long movie, I  feel like it could be shorter. This movie is really "cringy". So many times I felt like banging my head on my desk. They tried to put so many different things in here and it didn't work. That being said, it does have it's good moments.

The way Hayden Christensen plays Anakin can be really creepy at times (and a little "off" because he sounds like he is just saying his lines), but he also is really relatable in parts.
(Sorry all of the pictures are sort of blurry, they haven't been loading well on my computer.)


There we go! Please tell me all of what you think of this movie!

Thanks for reading, and May the Forth be with you!

MovieCritic

Movie Review: STAR WARS I: The Phantom Menace (1999)

Hello, everybody!
I am so sorry that I have been so absent. I had a lot of posts planned for last week, but I had to suddenly go out of town and am finally back.

Anyway, as this is a movie review blog, I should review at least once movie a month, eh? (My minimum is supposed to be three, but that didn't happen). As you can see from the post title, I'm doing a STAR WARS review, and since I only do those on rare occasions, today, March 31st, must be a special day! You are correct in thinking that: it is Ewan McGregor's birthday! He plays Obi-Wan Kenobi in the prequels. Also, for some reason a lot of the reviews I've done this year have included him. Huh.

I am reviewing the STAR WARS movies in the way that they are made. If you haven't seen them, I cannot stress enough how important it is to watch them this way!! If you don't, some of the best moments in movies are spoiled. If you are to watch them, do it in this order: IV: A New Hope (1977), V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980), VI: Return of the Jedi (1983), I: The Phantom Menace (1999), II: Attack of the Clones (2002), III: Revenge of the Sith (2005), VII: The Force Awakens (2015), & VIII: The Last Jedi (2017). You don't have to watch I, II, & III, because they are not the best, but it is interesting to know the back story.

Enough blabber, I'll get to it! This review today will be a bit longer because I have a lot to say.

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning.

STAR WARS I: The Phantom Menace (1999):

"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far, away..."
With trouble on Naboo, two Jedi Knights take Queen Amidala away from there to plead the Senate to help her. Their ship being damaged, they land on Tatooine to get supplies. There Qui-Gon Jinn meets Anakin Skywalker, a nine year old slave who is great with mechanics and offers his friendship to the Jedi. Qui-Gon gets himself into a trading agreement that all depends on whether or not Anakin can win a pod race. All the while there is a mysterious figure that seems to be controlling the Senate, who are they?
"You Jedi are too reckless."

Genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy.

Length: approx. 136 minutes.

Costumes: 8, there is nothing bad, but (and I think this is the first time that this has happened on this blog), they are a little over the top, but in the wrong places! I would love to see less CGI, but Amidala doesn't need fifteen different crazy outfits, see?

Script: 9,

'"Do you hear that?"

"Yeah."

"That is the sound of a thousand terrible things coming this way."'

Crew:

Directed by: George Lucas.
"There's always a bigger fish."

Written by: George Lucas.

Starring:
Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn.

'"I have a bad feeling about this."

"I don't feel anything."'

Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Natalie Portman as Padmé.

Jake Lloyd as Anakin Skywalker.

Ahmed Best as Jar Jar Binks.
Hugh Quarshie as Captain Panaka.
Ian McDiarmid as Senator Palpatine.
Pernilla August as Shmi Skywalker.
Anthony Daniels as (the voice of) C-3PO.
Kenny Baker as R2-D2.
Frank Oz as (the voice of) Yoda.
Oliver Ford Davies as Sio Bibble.
Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu.
Ray Park as Darth Maul.

Peter Serafinowicz as Darth Maul (voice).
Terence Stamp as Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum.
Silas Carson as Nute Gunray, the Viceroy.
Keira Knightley as Sabé.
Richard Armitage as a Naboo pilot. (He isn't credited, but he's there!).
I was reading the credits and it said: "Jabba the Hutt as Himself". What does this mean?

Cinematography: 6, ugh, there is so much CGI! And it really isn't that good. I get so tired of it. The race is fun, though.

Cinematography by: David Tattersall.

Music: 10!! Oh, I love it!!

Music by: John Williams.

Quotes: 7, "What, do you think you're some kind of Jedi, waving your hand around like that?"

Storyline: 8, there is fighting, and death.
"Greed can be a powerful ally."

Age Range: A 6 year old boy that I babysit loves this movie. Seriously, he watches it all the time. So, he is fine with the violence.

Overall Score: 7.5.

Bonus thoughts:

"Are you brain dead? I'm not going in there with two Jedi." (This cracked me up!)

First off, I want to talk about Jar Jar Binks. I know that a lot of people really criticize him, and I understand that, but it is not Ahmed Best. He does a great job, the best he could have done with Jar Jar (I actually talk in his way a lot, mostly when I'm tired). I don't like Jar Jar Binks, because of the way George Lucas wrote him.
I usually like back story, but these prequels make me so sad! I just know all of what is coming. Speaking of, I hadn't seen this all the way through since the first time, which was in 2015 (and I was sick so I didn't remember a lot). When you rewatch it you cringe because you can see everything that is going to happen, it is so obvious! I know that I couldn't believe that I didn't see it the first time (but, as I said, I was sick, so I was a little foggy).
All in all, there are parts that I like, but I could just cut a lot out because it takes too long. And, I love seeing Ewan McGregor as a young Obi-Wan! He does such a good job.

Thank you so much for reading! Do you have a favorite of the prequels?

MovieCritic