War of the Worlds (2025).

Review #2481: War of the Worlds (2025).

Cast: 

Ice Cube (Will Radford), Eva Longoria (Dr. Sandra Salas), Clark Gregg (Donald Briggs), Iman Benson (Faith Radford), Henry Hunter Hall (Dave Radford), Devon Bostick (Mark Goodman), Michael O'Neill (Walter Crystal, United States Secretary of Defense), Andrea Savage (Sheila Jeffries, FBI Agent), and Jim Meskimen (the President) Directed by Rich Lee.

Review:

This is the debut feature of Rich Lee, who had spent two decades directing music videos for various bands after first doing work at Scenic Technologies doing sets/sculpting and also did work with previsualization for a few feature films. Not exactly the worse resume for a movie that might go down in infamy as one of the most ineffective feature film debuts ever. At any rate, let's start carefully. The screenplay was credited to Kenneth A. Golde and Marc Hyman, with a story by Golde as based on the novel of the same name by H. G. Wells (which apparently is in the public domain now). Evidently, the first rumblings of making this film started in 2020 that would use "screenlife technology" (as, as popularized by films such as Searching (2018), which shares a producer with this film in Timur Bekmambetov. So yes, they wanted to make a film that looked like an event but with the budget of a small thriller. Apparently, post-production lasted for two years after the film was shot over the course of fifteen days and had a handful of edits made over and over again. Actual footage of disasters (such as a fire) had CGI put over it to serve for this film. Universal was originally set to release it, but it was later sold to Amazon, who released it onto Prime Video. You might wonder why this film gets a pass then despite being on a streaming thing. Well, I do love a good target, especially one that claims to not be deterred by bad reviews.

The following things are namedropped or shown: Spotify, FaceTime, VISA, Zoom, the Mac, Tesla, the Push button ("that was easy"), Amazon (drones are totally cool) and gift cards, commentators such as Joe Rogan and Tucker Carlson. Bekmambetov apparently believed that the best way to experience the action through the lens of phones and computers that surely would be a modern spin of the novel akin to the Orson Welles radio broadcast from 1938. I cannot imagine someone trying to pretend to be immersed in the film actually portraying an invasion and people rising above it to tell truths by displaying an image that says: "Let's Disrupt Some Shit". You have got to be kidding me with this movie, right? There is no desire in my mind to give the film the "so bad it's good" treatment, there is only a desire to bury this movie into the ground for all of the genuine terrible quality that comes through in 89 minutes of what barely even counts as a film. How can you call this a movie where you are basically paying attention to small rectangle rather than the whole frame? How can you call this a movie where you already know the outcome and the characters are still badly developed? How could this have passed for a film? Is that all there is, movies being made for "content"? To call this a movie is an insult to movies made on a shoestring budget or even Neil Breen. You can't believe anything you see or hear with the film from hacking to the art of needing a thumb drive as delivered by a drone. Ice Cube can't even make this tolerable to watch because he just sounds bored by what he is doing here, a movie where he was filmed without the director or actors around. Gregg can't even sell the idea that he cares about the perils of trying to seize a higher place of power in disaster because he has the commitment level of someone stuck in an unending phone call. The "Disruptor" stuff is just cringe and unconvincing in actually making you believe in the film besides the invasion. The effects, aside from the probable tastelessness (debate for yourself) of taking actual suffering and putting CG over it, don't even heighten the drama because the visuals just aren't interesting to look at. In the end, you could stick with the 1953 or 2005 version of War of the Worlds, end of story. This is an insult to moviemaking, and it honestly deserves to be buried into the ground for sheer audacity in wasting the time of its audience with no sense of tension, interest, or soul in any shape or form. Laughing at it isn't enough, giving it a 0 is what it deserves.

Overall, I give it 0 out of 10 stars.

Well, we tried our best to do a quality Turkey Week. Six Novembers of having some pretty bad movies to close out the month has been pretty enjoyable, and I look forward to further years of ridicule. At any rate, presented here were the finalists: 

Doolittle / Killing Me Softly / National Lampoon's Movie Madness / Gotti / Driven / Date Movie / H. G. Wells' The Shape of Things to Come / Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

One Hour Photo.

Review #1532: One Hour Photo.

Cast: 
Robin Williams (Seymour "Sy" Parrish), Michael Vartan (Will Yorkin), Connie Nielsen (Nina Yorkin), Gary Cole (Bill Owens, Manager), Eriq La Salle (Det. James Van Der Zee), Clark Gregg (Det. Paul Outerbridge), Paul H. Kim (Yoshi Araki), Erin Daniels (Maya Burson), and Dylan Smith (Jake Yorkin) Written and Directed by Mark Romanek.

Review: 
"I don't know how much value I have in this universe, but I do know that I've made a few people happier than they would have been without me, and as long as I know that, I'm as rich as I ever need to be."

It's easy to peg someone as just a comedian if you only focus on the laughs. Robin Williams is likely one of the most talented comedians to ever try his hand at both comedies and dramas that ever lived. He attended various schools of study in a path to becoming involved with acting (dropping out of studying political science at Claremont Men's College to study theatre at the College of Marin) that led to study at the prominent Julliard School starting in 1973. He worked through various odd jobs before deciding to do stand-up comedy in 1976, which he would perform on a consistent basis over the following decades, even while finding prominence with Mork and Mindy (1978-1982) and Popeye (1980). He was known for both comedic and dramatic successes such as The World According to Garp (1982), Dead Poets Society (1989), and Good Will Hunting (1997) that surely proved a perfect fit for this film (strangely enough, Jack Nicholson was initially thought of for the lead role, although he turned it down). This was the second work of Romanek, who had studied cinema and photography at Ithaca College before making his first feature with Static (1985), which he later disowned. In the years that followed, he decided to take on doing music videos, directing his first one for the group The The in 1986. He became better known for his videos for music groups such as Nine Inch Nails and Janet Jackson (his video for Johnny Cash's cover of "Hurt" is however is easily the most memorable).

It's easy to look back and think about the differences time can make for a psychological thriller like this. Sure, maybe people don't exactly go out to their big-box store and have photos processed by someone in a booth anymore, but there is definitely an appeal and interest about the very idea of having someone get a glimpse into a person's life through what they process in a photo. Think about the photos you take with others or have taken of yourself and think back to the memories associated with those snapshots and wonder about how someone might perceive them differently that may verge into devotion, considering that the main character not only knows the habits of certain customers that come in regularly (like ones who like to photograph cats) but also just happens to know where you live too. It is a film that views upon a not-so-quite ordinary man with a life empty enough for one to nearly forget about in the background, which most definitely taps into the emptiness of one's soul that arises from chasing memories to worship without having anything for yourself. What can it take for one to turn from voyeur to vigilante? As it turns out, sometimes the truth really does hurt when it comes to facing reality, and it generally does work out in building small-scale chills with a distinct look and one great performance by Williams to make an adequate thriller worth checking out. If there was no Williams, it wouldn't really be anything great, particularly if it was an actor that couldn't live up to basically having to disappear in a role like a chameleon. He has a mannered patience here that captures awkwardness and solitude with quality quiet makeup and instinct that generally helps in keeping a balance between would-be object of pity or something darker without needing to be wrapped in either classification too easily. Vartan and Nielsen don't really have much to do, but they do play fine to essentially paper chemistry that also share interesting moments when paired with Williams in art of the awkward glance. Cole and La Salle make adequate authority figures for a feature that seems to emphasize perception and cold loneliness more than anything, complete with carefully picked color palates (where Williams seems to blend into the background at times, and the bright lighting for the SavMart sequences are especially apparent in that effect). It is a modest movie, with only one real quibble that I had, which mainly involves having the film begin with him being photographed for booking - regardless of how much is there to predicted with ease or not, it really didn't need to be told to us like this to really set up the film on a chilly path. The ending however does fine with sticking out the lasting decisions that can be made by someone filled with calmly-smiled desperation in the part intended for a soul that perhaps leads one to think a little closer about just who is that person who knows about details from the photos you take. It was a modest hit at the time with audiences by making back its $12 million budget four times over, and it is pretty easy for me to see why. With a fairly interesting premise built on introspection and chills beside the usual resort of blood (except for perhaps one shot, which I love) or excessive twists to go with a solidly subtle Williams, One Hour Photo is a neat little gem worth checking out for the small scares that come from what you see in and outside the picture.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Captain Marvel.

Review #1200: Captain Marvel.

Cast: 
Brie Larson (Carol Danvers / Vers / Captain Marvel), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Ben Mendelsohn (Talos / Keller), Djimon Hounsou (Korath), Lee Pace (Ronan the Accuser), Lashana Lynch (Maria Rambeau), Gemma Chan (Minn-Erva), Annette Bening (Supreme Intelligence / Mar-Vell / Dr. Wendy Lawson), Clark Gregg (Phil Coulson), and Jude Law (Yon-Rogg) Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck.

Review: 
There have now been 21 films produced by Marvel Studios that is part of their cinematic universe, for which they have managed to set stages for the rise of numerous heroes for the past decade. Just as the era seems to possibly reach its peak with the final Avengers film comes another hero to join the fray, barely a month before said release. The film has certainly taken its time to get to the finish line, moving from an initial script done in 2013 to eventually enlisting a director/writer duo in Fleck and Boden in 2017, who had previously done films such as Mississippi Grind (2015) along with work on television programs. How many times can one make a superhero origin movie full of effects and action held together through a formula that seems as familiar as ever? I find myself liking these type of films just fine, but there is likely a point where the product doesn't resonate as entertainment, and it will likely be when the story and themes can't be held up from its main hero, when one just doesn't care about the stakes. I don't usually re-watch films often, and I can't particularly say that I really go back to these comic book films too much either (regardless of what brand is behind it). Perhaps it would be best to say that while I did find the film to be just fine, I would hope that a future installment manages to give its lead character a bit more conflict, particularly with its main threat.

Granted, there is plenty of galactic action to go around, but it doesn't have as many compelling levels as it probably should. There isn't a bad performance in the bunch, with Larson, Jackson, and Mendelsohn being keys to giving the film a steady balance. Larson does seem at first to be like a blank slate to fill details in gradually, which goes okay. As is the case with most heroes, it is nice to see her put a suit on and beat some enemies, even if the story that surrounds her is just alright for the course. It is nice to see Jackson (albeit with some digitally de-ageing that takes some time to get used to) deliver some enjoyment and a few laughs in a part that feels just fine for a buddy cop movie. Mendelsohn is also fairly amusing to stick around with, particularly when in his human disguise. The other members of the cast are okay, although they don't feel too particularly developed with much to do, such as Law or Bening. At least the 90s references are amusing without being obnoxiously self-aware. Comparing the film to more recent films of its ilk (such as Wonder Woman or Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, for example) does tend to make the film seem a bit average. It is surprising to see how many films can persist on in showing people with their newly found heroic powers and the responsibility that comes with it - some do better with showing conflict and adventure than others. The film takes its 124 minute run-time and runs just fine with showing spectacle while trying to make sure its story has a few connections for its audiences without gasping for relevance, which delivers decent results. It may not be unique with its motivations (or its character types), but it sure pushes itself amiably. This one will check the boxes for people already in line for these kind of movies, and while it may not be as interesting as it could have been (in terms of its story and pace), it is at least something you can take without many regrets.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Iron Man 2.

Review #334: Iron Man 2.

Cast
Robert Downey, Jr. (Tony Stark/Iron Man), Gwyneth Paltrow (Pepper Potts), Don Cheadle (James Rhodes), Scarlett Johansson (Natasha Romanoff), Sam Rockwell (Justin Hammer), Mickey Rourke (Ivan Vanko), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Jon Favreau (Happy Hogan), Clark Gregg (Phil Coulson), John Slattery (Howard Stark), Garry Shandling (Stern), and Paul Bettany (J.A.R.V.I.S.) Directed by Jon Favreau (#135 - Iron Man)

Review
This is the tenth Marvel film reviewed here (X-Men, X2, X-Men: The Last Stand, Fantastic Four, Rise of the Silver Surfer, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, The Avengers), the fifth in the Marvel film Universe that has been taking place the last few years. This is the sequel to Iron Man (Obviously), but does it hold up to its predecessor? In some ways, yes. Downey does a fine job once again, keeping that distinct, yet fun personality. Paltrow and Downey mesh well once again, and Cheadle (though not the same actor from the first film) works well into the film. And then there is the villain. Rourke is good, but I feel that the film doesn't focus on him enough. While the first film had a villain that gradually came to be only in the end, there was a feeling for that character. And yes there is another villain (sort of), but it's not exactly a feel of a villain. But oh well, the action is still entertaining and it doesn't really have other real big flaws. While it may not be as good as the first, it still is good enough to work out in the end.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Avengers.

Review #312: The Avengers.

Cast
Robert Downey, Jr. (Tony Stark/Iron Man), Chris Evans (Steve Rogers/Captain America), Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner/Hulk), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Scarlett Johansson (Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow), Jeremy Renner (Clint Barton/Hawkeye), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Clark Gregg (Phil Coulson), Cobie Smulders (Maria Hill), Stellan Skarsgård (Erik Selvig), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Gwyneth Paltrow (Pepper Potts), and Paul Bettany (J.A.R.V.I.S.) Directed by Josh Whedon.

Review
Another year, another end. Today is the 2nd Anniversary of Movie Night's first review, back in December 20, 2012 (Terminator 2: Judgment Day), so to end Season 2, I decided to review this film. (that and to appease some requests) So how is this film? I'll tell you this much: It's a load of fun. This is a new level of fun in comic book movies, one not seen possibly ever before. It succesfully uses the Avengers and keeps (or creates) their personalities intact. You'd think that with many heroes, there'd be at least one character who'd be overshadowed. Not here. It knows when to take a breather and when to have fun with itself, especially my favorite line: "Hulk, smash" The acting is fun, with Ruffalo standing out. Oddly this is my first film review with Banner/Hulk (And from what I've heard the less said aboiut the '03 Hulk, the better.), and he does a good job. For some reason, I feel inclined to say that my favorite hero in this film is Captain America. The action is a load of fun (Redundant word much?), defining itself and keeping intrest. It lives up to the hype and more, with a script that knows its bounds, raising the bar for any team up of superheroes, and it makes you eager for more. Much, much more, which is good. Happy 2 years of Movie Night, and thank you to anyone who happens to read this. I hope for more years to come (Unless that 2012 thing comes true (it won't, but gotta please the oddballs sometimes), in that case it's great to end on the Avengers.), and thank you.

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Mr. Popper's Penguins.

Review #236: Mr. Popper's Penguins.

Cast
Jim Carrey (Thomas Popper), Carla Gugino (Amanda Popper), Madeline Carroll (Janie Popper), Maxwell Perry Cotton (Billy Popper), Angela Lansbury (Selma Van Gundy), Desmin Borges ( Daryl), Philip Baker Hall (Mr. Franklin), Dominic Chianese (Mr. Reader), and Clark Gregg (Nat Jones) Directed by Mark Waters (#151 - Mean Girls, #204 - Freaky Friday)

Review
Based off the book by Richard and Florence Atwater, the film attempts to be a good-natured adaptation, and...it languishes in parts. Carrey does a standardized act, almost pulling "The Eddie Murphy Act" The rest of the cast do a standard job as well, not really going one way or the other. While it isn't really much of anything, I don't feel any hate for it, I really can't find much hate for something I hadn't heard much of in the first place. If I had to list something else for this film, I'd list the penguins are not "Stuffed Animal Approved" by my stuffed penguin. *snickers* Alright, alright, I kid.

Overall, I give it 5 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Iron Man.

Review #135: Iron Man.

Cast
Robert Downey, Jr (Tony Stark/Iron Man), Terrence Howard (James "Rhodey" Rhodes), Jeff Bridges (Obadiah Stane), Shaun Toub (Yinsen), Gwyneth Paltrow (Virgina "Pepper" Potts), Faran Tahir (Raza), Paul Bettany (J.A.R.V.I.S.), Leslie Bibb (Christine Everhart), and Clark Gregg (Phil Coulson) Directed by Jon Favreau.

Review
Normally, I do not use some words to describe films here, because they don't feel right to use in that context. But I think this is an exception. In a word, this film is...Awesome. The acting is good, with Downey and Bridges doing the best jobs of this film. The action is good, with a story that changes from one act to another, along the style. The directing is good, with an alright climax that sets everything in motion, such as setting for the sequel, and setting up the arc that would lead to the Avengers, with two of which that already have been reviewed in Thor (#041) and Captain America: The First Avenger (#060).

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Thor.

Review #041: Thor.

Cast
Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Natalie Portman (Jane Foster), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Anthony Hopkins (Odin), Stellan Skarsgård (Erik Selvig), Kat Dennings (Darcy Lewis), Clark Gregg (Agent Coulson), Colm Feore (King Laufey), Idris Elba (Heimdall), Ray Stevenson (Volstagg), Tadanobu Asano (Hogun), Josh Dallas (Fandral), Jaimie Alexander (Sif), and Rene Russo (Frigga) Directed by Kenneth Branagh.

Review
Greetings fellow viewer who clicked the link from the review of Thor: Ragnarok (2017) or simply wanted to see an old review. To provide some context, I have written a small piece of memories from this film, having seen it when I was 14.

In retrospect, I will say that Thor (2011) is a decent film, but it definitely pales a bit when compared to Iron Man or the film that followed this one, Captain America: The First Avenger. That's not to say that this is a mediocre movie, but it definitely has its issues, such as some of its human characters along with taking a bit of time to really get going. Hemsworth does a capable job, however, and Hiddleston and Hopkins are also fairly good standouts in a movie that has some dazzle in what proves to be fair entertainment.

The film is a exciting film that won't put you to sleep, as the film has action that is done well. The acting is good, especially from Hemsworth. The only flaw I find is that the film takes a little time to go, especially after Thor is banished to Earth. In a way, this is the penultimate film before The Avengers (The final being Captain America - #060).

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.