By George Robbins
[usr 4.8]
I hardly ever get truly sad at the end of a film, but this is one of those films that I do get sad finishing. The bittersweet feeling that is left after the film is proof that the film itself had a huge impact. The way that all of the characters are portrayed within the film is something that makes it feel almost too real and makes crave affection. The whole movie is just a story of a lost affection and what some people would do in order to reacquire it. It is an odyssey for the characters involved and it makes me wonder whether or not I would be willing to go to the same lengths. If you suddenly had the one thing you loved taken away would you do anything to get it back. The main character of the film, masterfully portrayed by Haley Joel Osment, would do anything to get that back and it proves that he doesn’t need living tissue to feel the need for affection. Some people are even more mechanical than he is even though they are human, and this just shows that anyone or thing can yearn for something. Does it make you human or machine to want those things?
By George Robbins
[usr 4]
This film is one that I watched having no idea who the director was at the start. Just a few seconds in however I had found my answer to that question. Wes Anderson has a very unique style to the way he does his films. The way that the camera work is done combined with the straight-faced delivery of the lines is a combination that he has made unique to himself. That’s not to say other films won’t do the same, but the way he does it, you can just tell that it is him. This film in particular is not one of his best works, but it is still an excellent film nonetheless. The witty humor comes out strong through the film. Bill Murray kills the role as always, and the rest of the cast is excellent in both the way they handle the scenery and how they deliver their lines. There are certainly better Wes Anderson films such as ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ and more recently as of the writing of this review, ‘Isle of Dogs,’ but this film is still a great film on its own.
By George Robbins
[usr 3.2]
This film has a special place in my heart as being a science fiction movie that you can love to hate sometimes. It is supposed to be a horror movie to some degree, but it just comes off as being another action movie. Don’t get me wrong however, because the film is still fun to watch. All I’m saying is that there are other options for horror or action films. This isn’t even the best film for horror with sharks, the obvious and cliched answer, but also the correct one is ‘Jaws.’ For an action movie with sharks, this might just be the best in the category. It’s a stupid fun movie to watch and is worth any time you put into it.
By George Robbins
[usr 4.3]
There are a lot of classic horror movies out there in the world, and a lot of them have very similar themes. This movie is no exception to this, however that does not mean that it isn’t an interesting movie to watch. All of the characters, like most people in real life, have something that they try to hide. This is something that is unavoidable, but it doesn’t mean that it is something that should be ignored or forcefully forgotten. Nearing the completion of the film it can be seen that the main theme is to accept your own shortcomings and grief so that you can try and move past them. This film shows that sometimes the best thing to do in situations is to face them head on and sometimes fight like your life depended on it. This is something that can be taken into everyday life; even if you have something go wrong no matter how big or small, you should fight to try and get through it. For me this is the most poignant point that I see being made in this film. If people don’t agree with this, that is fine, but it is advice that should be followed nonetheless. We all have the capacity to fight to make our lives better, and that is shown at the film’s climax. The Ritual is not just some horror movie to me, it is a movie that makes me think about how I should act in my own life, and for that reason I believe it is a film that is worth the watch. That is the true horror that is a result of this film.
By George Robbins
[usr 5]
Psych is up near the top of my list as perhaps one of my favorite television programs of all time. It has very witty humor and the chemistry displayed between all of the main cast members is played off of very well. The main characters Shawn and Gus, played by James Roday and Dulé Hill respectively, display a friendship that very easily comes off the screen. The humor in the show is mostly made up of characters responses to one another and this is the main strength of the show. The show isn’t just a comedy, as there are many serious moments throughout to remind the audience that you are still watching a detective show. There are countless references to other pop culture, whether it be a visual gag or even the theme of an entire episode, but it is not a blatant ripoff of any other media. They manage to make any episode that has a theme feel like its own art form and to most people comes off as just being another episode in the series. The writers and actors worked very well together to ensure that the show is performed well and it can definitely be seen as it became something that stood out on its own. Don’t assume that just because they reference pop culture that this is all they do. Most of their episodes are wholly unique and every one is worth the watch. It is and always will be my go to show to watch no matter how much time has passed since its release.
By George Robbins
[usr 3.9]
Fast and Furious Presents Hobbs and Shaw is a relatively fast paced action movie that I enjoyed watching. That’s not to say that there aren’t any clichés or over-the-top action scenes, but that was what I already expected to see in the film. If you want to see a good pure action movie, then this is definitely one to watch. Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham work together very well within the film and it can be seen as the film unfolds. There are moments here and there where the action is in a lull, so to speak. These moments are the ones that are filled with most of the clichés in the film. The action set pieces on the other hand are way over-the-top, but unique in that I haven’t seen set pieces like that in most other films. It is most certainly a Fast and Furious film in that sense; so if you enjoy that series then that style of action is nothing new to you and you will definitely enjoy this film. If you don’t enjoy the series, but want to still see an action movie, this one is worth the watch, but be mindful of the fact that the film is rather long at 2 hours and 17 minutes. This is a film that is worth a watch if you have the time even if you haven’t seen any Fast and Furious films, and if that type of movie isn’t for you then don’t watch it.
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