Movies I Watched in May 2022

Date: 5/1/2022
Viewed: Amazon Prime (Rental)
First Viewing

Note: SPOILER REVIEW!!!:




I'm only watching this film because I'm morbidly curious. When I first heard about this film, I assumed it was a sequel to Roland Emmerich's previous film, Moon 44 (1990). Instead, he's working on yet another big-budget disaster movie. I decided to watch it because it looked so ridiculous. I ended up renting it through Amazon Prime, and it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. Moonfall isn't a good film, but it's not as bad as some critics make it out to be.

In my opinion, the film's visuals are excellent. I like how the destruction scenes were made to feel scary and powerful. I'd be peeing my pants right now if I were in these characters' shoes. In 4K UHD, the film looks absolutely stunning. When the main characters are in space, it's my favorite part of the movie. I really like how the movie makes you feel like you're in space. It almost made me wish I saw this at my local IMAX theater. There's even a scene in the movie that feels like a nod to Rendezvous with Rama, which I thought was cool.

Aside from the visuals, everything else about the film is mediocre. The characters are uninteresting and stereotypical. Patrick Wilson (Watchmen) plays a bland suburban dad trying to reconnect with his uninspired family. They want him to be the movie's big star, but his character is so flat. Halle Berry's (Monster's Ball) character is yet another stereotypical woman who is still in love with her ex-husband. This is the kind of stereotypical female character that I'm tired of seeing in movies. John Bradley's (Game of Thrones) character is probably the only character that I like because he does an excellent job portraying a UFO conspiracy theorist. His character is occasionally amusing and serves as the story's underdog. In actuality, he is a character to whom no one pays attention until the very last moment and who, in actuality, saves the world. Seeing him give up his life to save humanity was a nice surprise that I didn't see coming.

Everyone else in this movie is, at best, forgettable. Donald Sutherland (Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1978), Eme Ikwuakor (Netflix's On My Block), and Michael Peña (Ant-Man 1-2) are examples of talented actors who are wasting their time on screen. The film's biggest flaw is how stupid the characters are. They make far too many poor choices. One of the characters decides to rob one of the characters who had previously stolen from him, in order to keep him from following them. Killing him would have been a better idea, especially since they ended up following them back. We didn't need any ridiculous car chase scenes that lasted far too long. There are also those in the military who want to use nuclear weapons to destroy the moon, despite the fact that this is a very bad idea. Do they really believe they can save the world with this idea? I could see the film succeeding if it had some political satire going for it. Moonfall, on the other hand, takes itself far too seriously to be aware of how stupid it is. At least, Independence Day (1996) was aware that it was a big-budget B movie.

You also have a crazy plot twist about aliens building the Moon to stop a billion-year-old war with an evil AI. It's so outrageous that it felt like it could have been written by L. Ron Hubbard or Erich von Däniken lol. Moonfall also reuses elements from other Roland Emmerich films, like Independence Day and 2012 (2009). If you've seen both films, you'll notice some similarities. Having said that, I'd be lying if I said the movie wasn't entertaining. It wasn't boring to me, and it moved at a good pace for a two-hour film.

If you're curious and need something to watch on a rainy day, I recommend Moonfall. Otherwise, skip it.

Date: 5/4/2022
Viewed: In Theaters
First Viewing

Note: I decided to go to the movies today because it is my birthday (now 31). I'd heard great things about Pompo the Cinephile and wanted to see it for myself. It was also the final day of its run at my local movie theater. I was the only one in the theater, which meant I had the entire space to myself. I'm glad I saw it. Pompo the Cinephile, in my opinion, is a charming animated film. The film feels like an anime equivalent of Cinema Paradiso (1988). Pompo the Cinephile is a love letter to film and those who adore making movies. The film contains several cool references and easter eggs from American Hollywood movies. The animation is breathtaking, with a lot of wonderful scenery. I admire the amount of work that went into making this film. The film is pretty funny at times as well. I found myself giggling when watching it.

I appreciate how the film depicts how difficult and expensive film editing can be. As someone who has done video editing before, I can tell you that it is far from simple. The film's characters are simple, yet they are nevertheless likable in my opinion. I still found myself caring about them. The thing about Pompo the Cinephile that I dislike the most is that it tries way too hard to be too sentimental. It grew overly emotional to the point of being cliched. They really try to hammer the whole "Follow your Dreams" message. As an artist, I appreciate a positive message of pursuing your passion for creating art. However, the film's too optimistic tone and themes began to irritate me. I don't like the character designs as well. I also wish they had taken a riskier approach to the narrative, which becomes extremely predictable later in the movie.

Despite my problems with this film, I had a good time watching it. If you're interested, I recommend watching Pompo the Cinephile.

Date: 5/30/2022
Viewed: Blu-ray
First Viewing

Note: This month, I haven't written many reviews since I've been burned out by watching movies. In the meantime, I just wanted to take a break. I've basically been replaying Blood on Steam and focusing on other things in my life. Anyways, let's get back to the review now. I received New York Ninja on Blu-ray for my birthday a few weeks ago and have yet to watch it. I finally saw it and it was awesome. New York Ninja is a solid action film in my opinion. This film will not win Best Film of the Year of 2021, but who cares? Not every film has to be a work of art. New York Ninja is a silly film with a lot of love behind it. You can tell that the film crew that made this movie were having a good time and that the story was never taken seriously. This film would have been lost in the sands of time if it hadn't been for Vinegar Syndrome. I'm grateful to companies like Vinegar Syndrome that can find long-forgotten films and give them new life.

The fight scenes are excellent, and there are enough silly moments to make you laugh. I also enjoy how the film manages to be goofy and over-the-top without trying too hard. Unlike other recent films that try too hard to be self-aware, they become irritating. I would give this film a higher rating, but it lacks oomph in my opinion. The film didn't reach the so bad, it's amazing levels of Miami Connection (1987) and Action USA (1989).

Overall, New York Ninja is an entertaining film that I recommend seeing.

Date: 5/31/2022
Viewed: In Theaters
First Viewing

Note: Since the release of Ex Machina in 2015, I've been a big fan of Alex Garland's films. This film isn't doing well at the box office, and it was expected to be gone by Friday in my local movie theater. So I made the decision to see it while I still had the opportunity. I'm glad that I saw it since I really enjoyed it. Men is the kind of horror film that I like to watch. It's a disgusting, bizarre film that most people despise, but I adore it. I enjoy the film's dark and eerie atmosphere. You may get a feel of how creepy everything is by viewing this film, thanks to the haunting cinematography by Rob Hardy (Mission Impossible: Fallout). It gives the impression that someone or something is stalking you. I particularly enjoy the film's subtext, which includes issues of mental trauma and anti-patriarchy. Like with Alex Garland's other films, there's a lot of subtext to dig into and build your own interpretation of the plot. I like it when films make me think.

Without going into spoilers, things get increasingly weirder and grosser. There's even a scene in the movie that feels like a homage to Xtro (1982). There's not much I can say about the movie without giving anything away. Men isn't for everyone, but if you like abstract horror films, you should check it out.