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Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Little Big Soldier (2010)

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Little Big Soldier is one of my favorite Jackie Chan movies. This pseudo-historical twist on an unlikely buddy comedy is a journey you really need to consider. It is a hilarious adventure with a powerful and relevant message. I have watched this movie in both the original Cantonese and its English dubbing. While the dubbing is solid, I prefer the original because there is a lot of emotion that is lost in translation. Not that I understand any Cantonese.

Little Big Soldier is about a farmer who doesn’t want to be a soldier. He uses his wit to survive a bloody battle where he was able to capture an enemy general by chance. He is determined to turn in the enemy general to his own empire so that he may never have to fight in another war. The two start off as enemies, but will reluctantly become friends along the way. 

This movie is a reimagining of historical events, but it also aims to show how meaningless war is. While I can’t speak on its historical accuracy, the narrative is fantastic. The movie does a great job of showing the effects war has on some of the different groups of people in China. From the nomadic tribes to the wondering homeless trying to survive, everyone is affected by the decisions of a few greedy men. It is scary to think a single impulse or feud could uproot and destroy the lives of thousands of people. This movie makes some very powerful criticisms about war while at the same time being silly and entertaining.

You can watch this movie in Cantonese for free on YouTube. You can watch the English dubbing on Peacock with a subscription.

Movie Reviews, movies

YouTube Movie Review: Eragon (2006)

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I read the Eragon back in high school, back around the time when the movie was coming out. I loved the book and I remember the excitement I felt about watching the movie. I remember exchanging that excitement for disappointment because the movie didn’t hold the same magic that the book did. I decided that today, I was far enough removed from the book that I would no longer hold that bias. I thought that I would be able to see the movie in a different light. I no longer hold onto that bias, but my opinion about this movie has not changed. I now understand why this movie never got any sequels, and it rightfully shouldn’t.

Eragon is a bad movie. You shouldn’t watch it, even if it is free on YouTube. Eragon is a movie that has gotten worse with age. The acting is mediocre, the CGI is ugly, and the story isn’t interesting. If you are looking for a movie with the same story done better, go watch Star Wars or How to Train Your Dragon. It is a much better use of your time.

What hurts this movie is its pacing and characters. There isn’t enough time spent on world-building or establishing Eragon as a competent hero in training. As a result, Eragon feels arrogant and whiny instead of a kid who is slowly growing to become a hero.

Take Brom’s death for example. Eragon gets a vision about saving Arya. Without discussing it with anyone, he just leaves. Brom dies saving Eragon. Brom’s death is supposed to be emotional and serve as an important moment of growth for Eragon. Instead, it is a frustrating scene because of how incompetent Eragon is as a hero. You might be able to excuse Eragon’s incompetence to the inexperience of youth, but the film doesn’t frame it as such. The whole movie doesn’t frame as anything heroic. He either wins because it’s in the script or people die because he messes up. It is difficult to care about a story where the main character is so unlikable.

I thought watching it for free would make watching this movie easier, but it didn’t. Don’t watch it, especially if you liked the book because you will be disappointed. But if you don’t believe me, you can watch it on YouTube.

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Movie Reviews, movies

YouTube Movie Review: Hackers (1995)

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Hackers has not aged well. The dialect, fashion, and story feel obsolete. Don’t get me wrong, there are some interesting characters but it is hard to get passed how cheesy the movie is. I would rather spend my time watching Wargames. It has a similar story but is done a lot better. If you’ve seen the live play D&D show “Critical Role,” they do an ad for Nord VPN where they parody and summarize this movie perfectly. I would rather watch that to be honest because it gets to the point a lot quicker than this movie. No meaningless dated graphics, no gibberish, and no forced romances.

My main issue with this movie is the gibberish. I don’t know anything about hacking computers, but I know that a lot of what goes on in this movie is made up. I don’t have a problem with movies that make up a language when the story is interesting. Unfortunately, the story takes so long to unfold that it leaves you with the time to process the nonsense, leaving these skilled hackers to seem less believable.

If you liked this movie when it first came out, you might enjoy the nostalgia. Otherwise, it is hard to ignore this movie’s many weaknesses. You can watch this movie for free on YouTube.

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Movie Reviews, movies

YouTube Movie Review: A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)

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A.I. Artificial Intelligence is a live-action adaption of Pinocchio set in the future. It features a great cast playing interesting characters in a cool-looking world. My only complaint is that it is a bit on the longer side. Some of the scenes are a bit drawn out, but I enjoyed the experience nonetheless. As far as live-action adaptions, this is easily one of the best. At the very least it is better than the recent Disney live-action movies. Cruella is possibly the only exception.

A.I. deals a lot with what makes someone human. It explores humanity through the eyes of a boy learning about the world set as an epic adventure. This adventure feels epic, full of challenges and intrigue. The world that Spielberg creates for this film is one you will want to explore. The colors, the noise, its inhabitants are all icing to an already solid movie. I can see the influence this movie has had in other films of the genres.

The adventure is the most important part of this movie. David learns about the cruelty of humanity, but he also learns love and compassion. He learns about lust and desire, but he also learns about love. It is an interesting attempt at defining humanity. But there is also that overarching criticism of society. Through David’s adventure, this movie tests the limits and bounds of human compassion. A.I. makes powerful criticisms about humanity in a spectacular way.

A.I. Artificial Intelligence was a solid movie that you can watch for free on YouTube. You can do a lot worse for free.

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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, movies

YouTube Movie Reviews: Last Knights (2015)

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Here is a fantasy movie that doesn’t require much commitment. Last Knights is a last-stand movie like “Rogue One” where the heroes go on this suicide mission to restore Morgan Freeman’s honor. It is set in a fantasy setting, but do not let the fact that it is fantasy scare you. You do not need to learn a new language or memorize the different conflicting factions. It is a self-contained and simple movie that is easy to follow and even easier to get into.

I have to emphasize the simplicity of this movie. There is no expansive world-building; the story takes place in such a small space that it doesn’t matter if you remember the names of the kingdom or houses involved. There is no character development because everyone is a stoic and heroic martyr that follows the knight’s code. The knight’s code is a fancy way of saying undying loyalty to the house they serve. They do separate the characters into categories which is nice. You have the big ones, the small ones, and the main one. You also know how this movie will end because it is pretty generic.

That said, it is not a bad movie. The acting is solid. The sets and costumes are pretty enough. I had fun watching it, but I understand that it is not for everyone. The movie focuses a lot more on political affairs; there is a lot of talking. The action that does occur is heavily edited, but not terrible. The film does tell a story, as simple as it is, and it builds enough suspense to be engaging. If you are looking for an action-packed fantasy movie, this might have too much dialogue in it to be worth your time. If you are looking for a movie you can throw on while you cook or fold laundry, this is a fine choice. It doesn’t require too much commitment to watch and it is free on YouTube.

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Movie Reviews, movies

YouTube Movie Reviews: 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

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I found myself enjoying this movie up until the end. The acting is what makes this movie work so well. John Goodman’s character is amazing! His character is what gives the movie most of its suspense. I will commend the film’s ability to effectively tell a solid narrative through the interactions between three people. They create a whole world within a small bunker and I am here for it. I recommend this movie to see John Goodman.

My issue with this movie is with the ending. This movie is a part of a larger Cloverfield Cinematic Universe (CCU), but I don’t think it works here. The connection to the CCU seems to be an afterthought and thus lazily executed. If you ignore this connection, it is a much more compelling story about prisoners trapped in some stranger’s basement. That’s the movie you need to see, not this poorly executed alien invasion movie. Ignoring this connection is ideal, but it also creates a new issue. If you do not know anything about the CCU, the ending to this movie is disorienting and disappointing. But if you don’t ignore it, you will still be disappointing.

But don’t let the promise of disappointment dull your intrigue about this movie. If you ignore its connection to the CCU and look past the ending, you have a solid and entertaining movie you can watch for free on YouTube.

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YouTube Movie Reviews: Superhero Movie (2008)

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Superhero Movie is a parody that should not have been made. I remember not liking it when it first came out, but not much else. It has not aged well since. This movie relies heavily on farting. This movie fills its dead air with fart jokes because it doesn’t have enough material to fill the run time. There are more farts in this movie than actual jokes. It is clear early on that this movie was made for 8-year-olds in 2008. It doesn’t hold up.

This movie is boring. It slogs through its run time with very little humor in it. There were a few moments where I wanted to give up on this movie, but I powered through. It isn’t worth it. The few moments that got a chuckle out of me are not worth sitting through the rest of the nonsense. Watching a YouTube video with all the best scenes would be a better use of your time, but not by much.

I would skip this even if you like watching bad movies for fun because it is slow and boring. But it is free for those poor souls who don’t believe me.

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Youtube Movie Reviews: Galaxy Quest (1999)

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There isn’t much to say about this movie; this is a good one. Watch it! It is a Star Trek parody that ends up being the “Star Trek” movie we’ve always wanted. It is funny, it is suspenseful, it is exciting, and it has real character growth. I honestly believe that it achieves more than other more serious movies of the genre.

Keep in mind that this is a parody. Don’t expect amazing space battles, well-choreographed fight scenes, or genre-defining special effects. The movie is silly and leans heavily into its cheesy and over-the-top tone. It works well! Trust me.

Underneath all the silliness, however, is a serious message. The movie is about a group of actors that are trapped by the success of a show that is no longer running. They end up having to run through a circuit of conventions, desperately holding on to the feeling of what once was. They all share this sense of being trapped by the shadow of the show’s success, and they all desire to be a part of something greater.

And when the call does come, they answer it reluctantly, stumbling and fumbling along because they are just regular people. That’s what gives this movie its charm. No one knows what they are doing but they slowly fall into their role, growing ass they accept their responsibility. You come to this movie for its silliness, but you stay because you love how it plays out. It tells an engaging story for what it is.

You can watch it free on Youtube, PlutoTv and IMDBtv. It is also included with your prime subscription.

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