Happy June! How's it going, bloggers and readers alike? I've been done with school for
Today is a big day because this is my 500th post! I thought I would hit that mark back in January, but...school. So, here we are! I used to do Top 10 posts to celebrate, but now that that's my common form of blogging I thought I should shake it up. Back for my 200th Post in 2018 I talked about Movies I Saw in the Theater. Because that was almost 5 years ago (how did I get to 200 posts in just over 2 years and now it's taken 5 years to get to 300 more? Life, I guess) I've seen some more in the theater, so I thought I'd talk about them!
Last time I just kind of...listed them out? All the previous 25? That's boring. Today I'm going to give a few thoughts on either the movie itself or the experience of seeing it in the theater. Some of these I actually reviewed in days gone by, so if you want those full thoughts, they will be the titles linked in blue.
These are all without spoilers for the movies. I repeat, there are no spoilers.
Robin Hood (2018)
This was the emptiest I've ever seen a theater. It was just me, my mom, and my older sister. I thought Jamie Foxx was so cool and the action was pretty epic, but the story? Meh. It was more about "look how cool we can be breaking the law" instead of talking about WHY the law was unjust? And I didn't like the forced triangle and position that Robin and Marian were put in. But it was one of the first stories one of my roommates and I bonded over, so I'm grateful for that!
My sisters and I went to see this on the very last day before they started showing Aquaman. It opens with an owl flying over whatever city it's supposed to be; that was magical to see in the theater. Especially the theater that I usually go to. In my home town there is only one screen so they only play one movie (usually for two weeks) but it's a BIG screen. Really cool.
Mary Poppins Returns (2018)
How to Train Your Dragon: Hidden World (2019)
My older sister and I had just earned money from dog sitting and went to see this. Again, any movies with flying are worth the entrance fee for movie theaters. It was EPIC. Even though this stinking movie messed with me with the score. It wouldn't play what I wanted it to play, but kept faking me out. Then it finally did it and I bawled. My sister didn't catch any of that. I just rewatched the first for the millionth time, so I should check this one out again...
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
I'm pretty sure I've told this story many times; after digging I found when and where I told the story, but apparently it's only been once? Weird. Anyway, link HERE (it's at the end of that post).
TL;DR: My Spanish teacher made this possible for me by getting me a DVD copy of Infinity War.
Let's see what new things I can add about the experience:
-This is to date the only movie that I've seen in a theater that didn't have any ads. They jumped right in, which was cool but also very shocking. Especially because it starts with my favorite character.
-My younger sister had basically NO CLUE what was going on because she had only seen: Doctor Strange, Thor: Ragnarok, and Infinity War. So I was whispering to her throughout (*gasps* Oh the horror!) things like "That's Scott Lang, he's Ant-man." She LOVED it even for not knowing anyone.
-Something really big happens in this movie (if you know you know) and for a reaction, some guy behind us said, "Well, that sucks" which nearly made me start laughing. Which is definitely not appropriate.
Aladdin (2019)
In which I was so relieved there wasn't a snake. My older sister and I went and were quoting the Genie for days. This is one of my favorite live-action remakes because it is so colorful and full of life. The direction is punchy, the costumes are to die for, and the humor is right up my alley. Mena Massoud just IS Aladdin.
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
My dad came with my sisters and I for this one. Even though he hadn't seen any others, we let him. My younger sister watched Homecoming for the first time on the same day, so she was very full of Spider-man. If I remember correctly, due to when I ranked the MCU movies, it's pretty high on my list! The conflict in this movie is what solidified most teenagers in the opinion that this version of Peter was one of us.
Who knows how many times I've seen it since then? I don't think I've watched the whole thing in one sitting since then, but I've seen lots of bits and pieces.
The only movie that I saw MORE THAN ONCE in the theater. I saw it twice. It was grand. I haven't seen it since Jan. 2020, but I now own a DVD copy mwahaha, so one of these days!
The summer before I had been working and thought of the best way this sequel trilogy could end. And then that IS how it ended. The most satisfying thing in my life. Is this movie perfect? No. There was a lot of sidetracking as people tried to "fix" what wasn't broken, but it means A LOT to me.
This movie is still as near and dear to my heart as it was that day. Maybe even more so. I should've waited to go with my younger sister, and I'm sorry about that.
This movie is part of my soul. My sister and I started off the year with watching this and the 1994 almost back to back, and guys *whispers* I like this one better. *yells* I LOVE THIS MOVIE. I also cried the whole way through. I'm not kidding. Starting when John Brooke makes some goofy joke about the "lovely greenhouses" I burst into laughter which then turned into sobbing and it. never. stopped. Good times. But I've already defended it a lot, so just go read the review.
Moonfall (2022)
Yes, the first after the big time gap. This started the trend of going to movies paid for by my college and I love this. It should be a tradition still. This featured one of the professors giving a talk beforehand all about astronomy and what would make the moon fall. Watching the movie we all felt so smart because we knew what all the technical terms meant. And, this was my first experience with that professor, but he is now one of my FAVORITES and I'm so stoked to be in his department because he makes life worth living.
The friend I went with couldn't believe that I cried during this movie, but yeah, I'm a crier.
Death on the Nile (2022)
I had been waiting YEARS. Years, people. So when my grandma said we should see it over my spring break I was so down.
And it shocked my system to the core.
I loved it. It took a very different perspective that the book does, meaning what it highlighted to be the message, and yet it felt so in character for Branagh's Poirot. I have read the book twice and they really kept me on my feet by changing details! Which I used to be really picky about but now I love when movies are different from books because I get two versions of something I love?
Father Stu (2022)
I think it's a bit hyped up. So many people I know seem to think it's the best religious movie ever, and I have seen many that I personally have enjoyed much more. This one just seems very aggressive? The experience was really cool, though, because I went with the girl who would become my roommate and it was our first event together!
Mother Teresa: No Greater Love (2022)
Okay, okay, this is a documentary, but I still went to it in the theater (something I had never done before!) so it counts. I also went with the biggest group, so that was exciting? The story of Mother Teresa is so inspiring.
El buen patron (The Good Boss) (2022)
Milestone: my first foreign language film in theater! I drug my roommate to this. I wasn't completely proud of that because I was NOT fan of this movie, but oh well.
Smile (2022)
I'm still not pleased with this movie so I'm still not putting an image. No thank you. I'm just really mad at it because you can scare me all you like, but you should have a BLOOMING POINT. *sulks* This didn't. And that's a real shame if you're creating a story.
But, I guess I'm glad I went? Had free tickets. If you were ever going to watch a horror movie, I would recommend seeing it in a theater with a lot of people because the collective crowd reactions are the best part. It's really uniting? I didn't go with anyone but ended finding an acquaintance there and sitting next to her, which worked out because whenever one of us had our eyes closed, we could whisper "WHAT JUST HAPPENED?". Also, according to her, I'm not so much of a screamer (it FELT like I was screaming a lot...) but I say "Oh no, oh no, oh no" a lot.
Living (2022)
First movie in a theater in 2023! This movie is so pure. It lifts you up and inspires you. It has a kind of typical premise that is handled magnificently. Needless to say, my roommate and I both loved this! It was a nice treat after just getting back into school for the new semester. And I think it subconsciously powered me through the semester.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
(I was going to keep this short and snappy like all the other thoughts, but well, that failed.)
I went to this with my roommate, and y'all, this is probably going to be one of my favorite movies for the year. Which is strange considering I do not like Chris Pine as an actor and almost always think he's annoying. Here he didn't annoy me once! The movie was rollicking good fun. ROLLICKING. I can't stress how much I loved it. All the humor was exactly up my alley, the plot was so creative (which is hard when it comes to fantasy because most feel like they are copying something) and the character dynamics? We need to talk about the character dynamics. I don't know the last time I was so impressed with such a healthy found family. I really appreciated that there was no forced romance (just Simon trying with Doric which was more hilarious than anything, but no pressure). I mean, the friendships in this movie?? My favorite is between Edgin and Holga. It was so refreshing and now everything I want in life is a friend like they are to each other (note, with NO ROMANCE. GIVE ME MORE).
Also, I probably shouldn't like Sofina, and I didn't like her character, but can we talk about how gorgeous Daisy Head is? An absolute queen who can pull off a shaved head like no one else. Both her and Regé-Jean Page we absolutely stunning. Though, the character Xenk owned all of my heart because he is so pure, regal, and noble. Usually characters who don't get sarcasm or jokes are there for laughs in contrast (see Malvolio in Twelfth Night) but there was nothing to laugh about him. He added a great balance and was the perfect character to give Edgin a push to his arc.
The plot was so well set up, too. Man, I wish I could make a story with such good foreshadowing.
Ahem. Anyone have any questions or have I established what I can in a "mini-review"?
The Little Mermaid (2023)
Is this the whole reason I started this list? Oh yeah. My mom and I went to this together and we hadn't been to a movie just the two of us since Incredibles 2! The best movies to see in a HUGE theater are those in the air or in the water. And this happily checks the last box. It's where you feel such a part of the movie with every swish of the water. So much that you get a headache but in the best way.
I am not a fan of the animated Little Mermaid, but I had so much fun with this! It fixed many of my complaints about the original 1989 film, so I applaud their good work there. The actors were all perfect for their roles and the new songs were fun (which I'll probably sing a lot in the future). I'm excited to see it again!
There you have it, the 19 movies I've seen since December 2018. I don't know how I've accomplished that AND 300 more posts in the same time? I couldn't do the posts all without the support of my readers, so thank you!!
And because it's June, I made a new header!
Which we have to throw up here just for posterity. So in the future I'll know when I switched it.
How have you guys been? What have you done the first week of June? I'm trying to make some more videos for my YouTube channel but someone *glares at reflection* can't make decisions of what to cut to make it the right length. Look for that in the future, though!
What are some of your favorite movies you've seen in theater? Craziest experience? Best? I hope the best is yet to come, so what are some upcoming movies you're looking forward to?
Chloe the MovieCritic
