Terrible Plan! Movie Reviews

What I liked: Jumanji lent itself really well to updating. The video game format was great the whole thing seemed just as ridiculous as old nintendo games. Why do knives pop out of the floor? Why is there a whole field full of snakes? Why are the rhinos and hippos carnivorous? Why are the goons completely clueless? Why does the villain have a centipede living in his ear? No reason besides it's a video game. Also all of the other characters acted just like old video game characters, only delivering set lines over and over. Each of the main characters had special abilities and special weaknesses; every time either was activated it was quite funny. My favorites were the zoologists extensive knowledge of all the local animals, especially the inexplicably carnivorous ones, the smolder complete with dramatic music, a susceptibility to cake, and dance fighting. I also really liked the squirrels, the flirting lesson, and the way that shouting what the character needed to do worked great. I...

What I liked: The minions. The pigs. It was a good combination.  I think they could have done more with the pig minion team up, there was a waiting wealth of comic opportunity there. I particularly liked the minions' performance for the tv show. I am however left wondering where they got their props. The gadgets as always. Why carry a normal gun when you could use a fully loaded keytar? Why drive a normal villain car when you can drive a gilded villain car. Why take over the world like a normal person whey you can cover it with bubble gum you shoot from a bazooka? What I didn't: They really should have done more with the fluffy unicorn direction. It seemed like it should have been the culmination of the whole unicorn obsession of all 3 films, sadly it was just an aside. As always the plan was terrible. A secret lair in a giant Rubik's cube is not very secret. Exactly following the plot of a children's TV show is not the best approach to world domination, especially ...

What I liked: I loved loved the impromptu chemistry lesson on the cinder block wall. I liked that the list of demands was entirely composed of Game of Thrones books and that they had to consult The Wikipedia. I'm glad that Kylo Ren looks normal sometimes. It is a sad commentary if you look better as a washed up hilly billy bar tender. His prosthetic arm was an important character in the movie and I  am glad that it got it's own story arc and character development finally becoming a cool black stealth hand. The checklist of how to pull off a massive heist was surprisingly good. I read it and thought, oh dear, this is going to be a train wreck. Then I watched the rest of the movie and there were no trains. The lack of trains on the heist checklist should have tipped me off. The prison escape was great. Like any prison break it took extensive planning and coordination, but it had just the right West Virginia twist. on that note I like that we now have a view into another side of h...

What I liked: Inspector Poirot was very fun. I'm always a fan of Kenneth Branagh but usually I don't get to see him in what I would characterize as a comic role. I like stunning scenery. I like absurd mysteries with crazy elaborate plots that materialize out of nowhere. I love the Inspector's mustache cover. I like that the whole train only has 6 cars including the engine, this may not be the most effective money making venture. I liked how much Poirot liked Dickens. I liked that the train got derailed on a really tall trussel bridge which withstands that impact only to sustain significant damage during a fist fight. I like how incredibly dramatic the whole thing was. I  like that there are as far as I can tell no limits on Poirot's jurisdiction. What I didn't: I am concerned that Poirot did not consider the possibility that he was drugged. Early evidence in the film indicates that he is a light sleeper and as he says he would not be likely to sleep through some...

What I liked: Winston Churchill is a fascinating leader who accomplished remarkable things in a very trying time. He was also stubborn and abrasive and had a whole slough of other personal failings. The film did a good job of capturing his skills as a leader, the gravity of the situation, and many of his odd quirks. I liked the actor who played Churchill, I think he did a great job. And I liked that they were able to work in as many of his ridiculous quotes as they did.  Normally I don’t like lots of extreme close ups in movies but they worked in this one. I like the War Rooms but more just because they are cool not necessarily because they are particularly well depicted in the movie. I like the reactions of the Londoners when they meed Churchill in the underground.  I like that between this movie, Kings Speech, and Dunkirk we have the initial phase of the UK’s involvement in WWII dramatized from three very different perspectives. Although it is a matter of record, I like tha...