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Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Lightyear (2022)

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Lightyear has just been released on Disney+, and after watching it, I understand why it flopped so badly. The first few minutes show promise. I was optimistic about the story because Buzz was interesting. Unfortunately, the rest of this movie turned into a disappointing and generic kids’ action movie. 

Buzz is the lone wolf archetype you are already familiar with. There isn’t much variation in his character or his journey, so why bother? His tendency to work alone causes the series of events that leave him and the colony stranded on a strange planet. The guilt Buzz feels about getting everyone stranded fuels his obsession to be perfect. Buzz makes it his mission to help get the colony into space again. His guilt and pride drive the remaining of this disappointing narrative. It isn’t a bad movie, but you have seen this story play out better elsewhere.

The voice acting was fine, but there are some awkward line readings that are hard to ignore. It can be better. I wish they would stop using celebrity voice actors and instead focus on hiring good voice actors. Good voice acting wouldn’t save this movie, but it would be more watchable. 

The characters in this movie are flat and uninteresting. Buzz is a generic action hero, the villain is a terrible trope that ruined the movie, and the side characters are one-note characters that only exist to make their one joke. I didn’t care about the movie because I didn’t care about the characters and that is a problem.

The story is a generic action movie. Buzz wants to work alone, but this one mission helps him realize that he can’t do everything alone. I was excited when I watched the trailers because I remember liking the animated series. Unfortunately, instead of the epic space adventure, we get a recycled story we have seen too many times already. This movie needs a compelling villain, a better lead and side characters, and a unique story. 

I am glad I didn’t spend any money on this movie because it isn’t worth it. It isn’t the worst movie on the platform, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch it. If you are forced to watch this, you aren’t going to hate it, but you probably won’t watch it again. I know I am not. But if you don’t believe me, you can watch it on Disney+.

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Choose or Die (2022)

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I’ve seen enough of these curse game movies to have low expectations of the genre. However, I was pleasantly surprised by Choose or Die. While it may not leave a lasting impression, it isn’t the worst way to spend two hours. I honestly believe it to be one of the better films in the genre. 

Choose or Die is about a girl Thea who is really good at computers. As she is desperately trying to find ways to make some extra money, she stumbles onto a text-based RPG that promises a healthy payout. While the game seems innocent, it comes with some deadly consequences. Now she is trapped in the game of her life. Will she win it all, or die trying?

Choose or Die does enough to keep it from being another bad entry to the genre, but it is far from perfect. The acting is solid, and some games are creative, but the narrative is lacking. Thea is a solid protagonist. Usually, movies like this feature a bland misrepresented character that is inexplicably perfect when the plot needs her to be. Thea on the other hand is shown early on to be a capable computer engineer. It isn’t random or unbelievable when she plays the game competently or when she overcomes obstacles. She is also likable enough, although there is some bad writing that keeps her from being better. 

The games Thea is forced to play are fun and creative for the most part. This movie does a decent job converting text-based RPG elements into a realistic and suspenseful challenge that Thea must overcome. Most importantly, these games are winnable. In some of the Saw movies or that dumb Escape Room movie, the games aren’t winnable. Instead of the suspenseful ride of watching someone trying to win their life, you get torture porn. While there is nothing wrong with that type of genre, it isn’t horror. You don’t see much torture in Choose or Die instead it becomes a very intense puzzle where the choices are difficult, but not impossible. Unfortunately, not all of the games are created equal. This will hurt this movie’s rewatchability.

My only complaint is with the writing. There are a few very cheesy moments that destroy the tension. Terrible one-liners, cheesy outcomes, and the pointless scenes with the drug dealer kind of slow the movie down and distract from the more creative bits. There is also a lot of buildup to a very disappointing ending that almost ruins the experience. 

You can watch this movie on Netflix. While I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch it, it’s not bad if you have nothing else to do.