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YouTube Movie Review: Dirty 30 (2016)

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I went to this expecting another bad and generic Superbad rip-off, but I was pleasantly surprised by a quirky and delightful movie. Dirty 30 is funny, dumb, and cheesy, but all in a good way. While it will not win any awards, it is a movie that should not be overlooked. This movie is about a group of friends dealing with being 30. It is a midlife crisis movie where the characters work through their dilemmas, and grow from the experience.

My issue with movies of this genre is that the main focus is always the wacky antics. They steal a tiger, fight a gang, they get into very illegal situations because that is the formula that works. These movies tend to fall victim to a lack of structure because the goal isn’t to tell a story but to have characters react to wacky situations. You have long-drawn-out party montages and crazy over-the-top scenarios that aren’t always funny. The narrative is reactive and redundant. Dirty 30 is a more grounded approach to the genre where the narrative is a lot more active. The antics are realistic, and the story is never out of the control of the main characters. 

This movie is about the characters taking control of their lives and maturing. It explores a lot of experiences that come with age. The main character can’t get friends to hang out with for her birthday because everyone is busy with their life and kids. She realizes she isn’t where she thought she would be in life. She has to deal with dating weirdos while she is looking for love. This movie does a great job of dealing with these themes in a fun and quirky way. More importantly, it shows that what was important to us in high school isn’t what is important to us today. The friends, rivalries, and goals of our lives have shifted with our worldview, and that is okay.

This is probably more analysis of a b movie that probably wasn’t intended to be taken as seriously, but I liked it so much that I felt obligated to do so. This movie is a lot of fun for what it is; a dumb movie about getting old. The actors are fine, the characters are unique and memorable, and it has a solid narrative. It is cheesy, but that’s okay because it works. You can watch it for free on YouTube.

Watch it Here!
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YouTube Movie Review: Clue (1985)

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I had a lot of fun watching Clue. This movie is cheesy and over the top, but it is a tone fitting for the narrative. I mean, who doesn’t love an over-the-top Tim Curry performance? The rest of the cast is fantastic! Each character is unique and memorable, and the way they work together truly sells this movie. The writing is also great! I am a huge fan of humor based on wordplay, and this has more than enough to satisfy my itch. I laughed through almost the entirety of this movie, despite the story being full of murder.

As far as movies based on board games go, this is great. It is better than Real Steel, and it is leagues better than Battleship. This movie gives me hope that maybe one day we can get a good movie that is based on a video game or board game that isn’t generic garbage. As far as murder mystery movies go, I think it is fine. It isn’t meant to be a serious installment of the genre, but it is a fine attempt. I don’t have too many examples to compare it to, but it was better than Murder on the Orient Express.

I don’t think this movie is for everyone. I think the cheesy tone and the jokes might be a bit much for some modern audiences. If you are a fan of murder mysteries, this might not be enough to scratch your itch either. It might not be serious enough. This is more for people who enjoy this era’s humor and enjoys hyperactive narrative. But it is free on YouTube. You can do a lot worse for free.

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Movie Reviews, movies

YouTube Movie Reviews: Battle Beyond The Stars (1980)

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Battle Beyond the Stars is a Sci-Fi movie I didn’t know I needed in my life. YouTube has been recommending this movie for a while now, and today I finally decided to give it a try. I found it delightful. Fans of Sci-Fi or Fantasy, this is the movie for you. There are space battles, an evil warlord, unique characters, and an epic journey. This is a fun film, and I recommend it to everybody. 

I will say that some modern audiences might find the pacing a bit slow. I believe the pacing to be fitting, but it is something to keep in mind. The movie is also very cheesy, but the cheesiness is part of the charm. For those of you who love cheesy 80’s, you should at least consider Battle Beyond the Stars.

My favorite aspect of this movie is the creativity. From the different aliens to the space ships, the filmmakers build a universe that feels diverse and expansive. You can tell this movie was low budget, but that doesn’t matter because the story is worth it. I didn’t care that some of the spacesuits were cardboard and duct tape. I didn’t care that the space battles were toys. I didn’t care because the story was so compelling. I admire how much suspense this movie creates with such a small budget.  Battle Beyond the Stars proves that a good movie doesn’t have to have a million-dollar budget to be good. All it needs is a good story.

For those interested, you can watch it on YouTube for free.

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Movie Reviews, movies

YouTube Movie Reviews: Dude, Where’s My Car? (2000)

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I will admit that there is some bias when it comes to “Dude Where’s My Car.” I consider it a very influential movie from my childhood, although it had been a while since I last saw it. I have to say, this movie still holds up. Sure some of this movie charm has dulled from age. Some of the jokes don’t land anymore, but the overall experience is entertaining. Sean William Scott and Ashton Kutcher are fantastic together. Their performance in this film shouldn’t be overlooked. Their charisma in this movie is the reason why it works so well.

Now this movie isn’t perfect. The plot is a bit slow at points. You can see this movie age showing itself. Some of the bits are a bit cheesy, but overall I think that is part of the experience. This was never meant to be a movie that was supposed to be taken seriously. I find that stoner comedies are either hit or miss. Either the audience has to be high for it to be funny, or the movie just isn’t funny at all. You don’t need to be high to think this movie is funny, but it does enhance the overall experience. Overall, this isn’t the worst way to spend your time.

“Dude Where’s My Car” is a silly buddy stoner comedy that isn’t a waste of your time. You can check it out for free on YouTube.

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Movie Reviews

YouTube Movie Reviews: John Tucker Must Die (2006)

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This will be more of an analysis than a review. If you are interested in watching “John Tucker Must Die,” it is free on YouTube with ads. You can watch it on Amazon Prime with a subscription if you don’t want any ads. I have to say this movie still holds up. I recommend this movie to anyone, it is a solid comedy with a shady plot. The acting is solid and the soundtrack is phenomenal. I recommend this movie for the soundtrack alone. The plot is a bit problematic, but you can overlook its immorality. This isn’t a movie that should be taken seriously

That said, I am going to take this movie a little seriously. I have to respect this movie for addressing some serious themes, and it does well. The main focus of this movie is to tear down John Tucker, but there are moments in this movie that show that the kids aren’t okay. There is a lot of pressure from society that dictates how everyone should act. John, for example, is the stereotypical alpha jock. He is the best at basketball, he is popular, and he is a player. But that isn’t all John wants to be. Throughout his fake relationship with Kate, he will act out and try his hardest to win her over. Part of that is because it is expected of him, but the other part is because he believes he finds something in Kate that is outside of what is normal. With her, he doesn’t have the pressure he has with the rest of the school and he spends the whole movie accepting this fact. There are scenes in this movie where he is shown breaking down this persona he has created, and those moments give his character a level of complexity that I did not expect. Of course, any development that his character makes is thrown out by the end of the movie, but I don’t think John was ever supposed to be a sympathetic character.

Kate on the other hand has the opposite problem. She is invisible and longs to be noticed and have friends. She doesn’t feel the pressures of society because society doesn’t notice her. When she starts being part of a group and starts to get noticed, she finds that she begins to act in ways that go against her character. There are moments in this movie where she questions the morality of the plot, but she will overlook it because she likes fitting in for once. This movie does a pretty good job of showing how the desire to fit in changes people. These are issues that plagued our adolescence, a period in our lives where we were just trying to fit in and find out who we are as people. Maybe that is why this movie still holds up because these are issues that people still deal with.

This movie isn’t as deep as I make it out to be. It is silly, fun, and worth your time. There are worse ways to spend two hours. Best of all, it is free!

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Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: I Want You Back (2022)

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Despite what you may think about romantic comedies, “I Want You Back” is one that you should at least consider. Jenny Slate and Charlie Day work spectacularly together! This movie is well-written, well-acted, and delightful at its worst. If you have an Amazon Prime subscription, you need to see this now.

Something to think about before going into this movie is that the characters’ morals are a bit hazy. This movie features two heartbroken characters who find comfort in each other’s company. They have recently gone through a hard breakup and are learning to cope with being alone. This movie does a great job of showing how difficult heartbreak is to overcome. The two plot to help each other break up their ex-partners. This plot is problematic because the main characters are set to ruin relationships and lives for selfish motives. This genre tends to have these problematic immoralities because love makes people do crazy things. In this case, I can excuse it because the journey is well worth the immorality.

The best part about this movie is watching the relationship between the two leads blossom. The chemistry they share is the reason you should watch this movie. The supporting cast is nothing to scoff at. Together they tell a very entertaining story that I must recommend to everyone. As a bonus, this movie has a great musical number. It is beautifully performed and perfectly woven into the plot. I enjoyed it thoroughly. If you have little interest in this movie, that moment is very much worth your time, but it makes more sense in context.

Watch this even if you don’t like the genre. This brings new life to a genre that has been a bit stagnant as of late. It is a nice date night movie, but I would argue that it is a fun anytime movie.

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Chick Fight (2020)

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Every once in a while, I stumble across a bad movie that leaves me feeling angry about the time I’ve just wasted. Chick Fight is one of those movies. There is so much I want to say, but here is the short version: This movie is terrible, do not watch it. The plot is lazy and predictable, the acting is mediocre at best, and the characters are unimagined.

I knew this movie bad. I felt it in my soul, but I wasn’t ready for how bad. The title alone should have been a red flag, but unfortunately, I watch anything once.

Chick fight is as generic as they come. The main character trains for a high-stakes big fight at the end while facing impossible odds. Somehow, through mostly confidence, she overcomes these odds and wins at everything. Think Karate Kid, but never as good.

My main issue is with Anna, the main character. She is as boring. She has nothing to lose, that is her motivation, but the plot gives her things. She gets the fight club, she gets to win at the end, she gets the successful coffee shop, and she gets the guy at the end without ever struggling. She gets all this because she believes in herself now? Fighting real people gives her the strength to fight life. That is the moral of the story, and I hate it. This movie takes every chance it gets to include a line of dialogue to slap you with its cheesy moral.

The cheesy message of empowerment aside, there is no way she wins her final fight. Anna joins the fight club, not knowing how to fight. Everyone in this fight club demonstrates some real skill, and then you have Anna, who has never even thrown a punch. Anna has two months to get good enough to fight the best fighter in the club. The rival, Olivia, has never been defeated. Olivia is shown beating three fighters at once. There is no way she wins the fight at the end. But through the power of character and shitty foreshadowing, Anna wins. Just watch Karate Kid.

There is so much I want to say about this movie. I have pages and pages of angry notes, but I will end it here: This movie isn’t worth your time.

Movie Reviews, movies

YouTube Movie Reviews: Minority Report (2002)

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Here is a classic I believe that everyone should watch. The movie is a crime action set in the future. There is suspense, drama, and some great performances. In this movie, they have created a way to see crimes before they occur. Tom Cruise is accused of a precrime and now races against the clock to clear his name. You get thrilling chase scenes, crazy suspense, and some pretty awesome betrayal.

Please note that this is an older movie, and the CGI has not aged very well. Although it is not unwatchable, some scenes look dated and ugly.

But the visuals should not be a deterrent; the story is amazing. I love the arguments this movie makes about free will. If the precogs can accurately see the future, then everything we do is predetermined. If everything is predetermined, then we have no free will. We are merely playing out our programming. It brings into question how many choices we as humans have when it comes to our lives. Can we change our destiny? You will have to watch and come to your conclusions.

Watch this movie! It still holds up. I have seen this movie multiple times and it is still an exciting experience. Best of all, you can watch it free on YouTube!

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Movie Reviews, movies

Prime Movie Reviews: Defendor (2009)

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Defendor is another Average Joe Superhero movie. The movie has the delightful casting of Woody Harrelson; his charm is infectious in this movie. Harrelson plays Arthur, a man with mental disabilities who fights crime as Defendor.

What sets this movie apart is Arthur. Arthur has this strong sense of justice and duty that he has emulated from his comic books. There are moments when he shows some bits of his humanity, but his personality changes when he puts on the costume. Watching the contrast between Defendor and Arthur is well executed. Defendor isn’t a great fighter and often gets beat up, but that never stopped him. His real superpower is his determination to his cause. Don’t go into this movie expecting well-choreographed fights. The fights are filmed to fit the narrative. Defendor uses gadgets like marbles or wasps to create confusion and uses that confusion to get an advantage. They are fun to watch. And don’t get me started on his catch phrases. They are the icing to the whole movie!

The movie is a little slow at times. It bounces around from different aspects of his life as he tries to stop his nemesis Captain Industry.
The film spends a lot of time effectively building a back story for Defendor. The film also does a great job showing the impact that Defendor and Author make on the world. This film is successful at telling a compelling superhero story with what it has.

But, this film is not for everyone. The pacing can be a problem, especially towards the middle. But if you have an Amazon Prime membership and two hours to kill, there are worse ways to spend it.