Tag Archives: youtube movie

YouTube Movie Reviews: John Tucker Must Die (2006)

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!

YouTube Movie Review: Black Sheep (1996)

Chris Farley and David Spade make a great duo. The chemistry and charisma they share always make for a great experience. However, I do not think this is one of them. This movie isn’t bad; there are worse comedies out there. The problem with this movie is its pacing. This movie moves slowly, and although the jokes are funny, you have to wait a long time to get to them. Your time is better spent watching clips of the best moments. Watch Tommy Boy instead.

I don’t think this movie uses its actors efficiently. Farley isn’t as big or loud as he should be, and I forgot Spade was in this movie. There are moments in this movie where you get a taste of this movie’s wasted potential. There is a scene in this movie where Farley is put on stage at a rock show and the way he commands the stage, his charisma, and the energy he puts forth is proof that he was a treasure and wasted in this movie.

If you are a fan of this movie, it is free on YouTube. If you
want to watch a classic comedy, watch Naked Gun instead. I don’t believe that this is a movie that most audiences will enjoy.

YouTube Movie Reviews: Chronicle (2012)

If you are a fan of found footage movies, you will probably like Chronicle. The pacing is decent, and the idea is unique enough to keep things interesting. The biggest problem with this movie is the format. The camera work is shaky, but it won’t make you sick. There are random clips woven in that only pad the film but do little for the overall narrative. That is expected with movies of this genre.

Chronicle is a collection of video clips by a troubled teen and his friends who one day become telekinetic. It is a story about a troubled kid who wants to fit in as he deals with bullying and an abusive home. I believe it tells the story well. It does a good job of showing Andrew’s slow descent from humanity as he is consumed with rage.

This movie isn’t for everyone. The format is hard to overlook. If you do not like found footage movies, this movie won’t change your mind. There are clips in this film where the kids are obnoxious and annoying. Other clips slow down the pacing of this movie, but that is the norm for the genre. If you have nothing else to watch, this is a decent movie. You can do a lot worse for free. It’s not going to go on any lists, but it’s not a complete waste of 2 hours. Check it out on YouTube.

YouTube Movie Reviews: Last Knights (2015)

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.

YouTube Movie Reviews: 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

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.

YouTube Movie Reviews – In Time (2011)

When I first watched this movie, it was fine. And it is. It’s a generic action movie that tries to be too deep for its own good. You can ignore the plot holes, the acting, and the improbable science and it’s still not good.

My biggest issue with this film is its preachiness. Every single scene in this movie is about class inequality is bad. Every sentence in this movie is about time. It beats you with the metaphor so constantly that it loses its power. I was so over this movie’s message by the first 20 minutes; it makes this movie hard to watch. They repeat a lot of the same lines. I think this movie has the honorable goal of making some type of social criticism. I don’t it is effective in its execution.

Another issue with this movie is the action is underwhelming. I think Justin Timberlake is the best choice for this movie. I think his acting is good enough for the writing, but he didn’t do much fighting in his time with NSYNC. I would have much preferred if he started singing and dancing. This movie as a musical would be something to behold.

The best part of this movie is easily the time cop that chases them. Cillian Murphy is much too good for this movie, but his character saves it for me. Other than that, I can’t say I cared for it too much.

You can do a lot worse for free. If you are looking for an action movie, the action isn’t very good. If you are looking for a compelling love story, I would call what the main characters have more lust than love. If you want to look at attractive people do stuff, yeah, this is it.

You can watch this with your Amazon Prime subscription. It’s also free over on YouTube. See the link below. Thanks!

Youtube Reviews – Taxi (2004)

This is a dumb movie. You have Jimmy Fallon as an incompetent cop who is trying to prove himself. You have Queen Latifah who wants to be a race car driver. You have super model bank robbers and a  race against the clock to catch them. The whole idea is ridiculous and when this movie came out, it worked. Watching it now, the movie hasn’t aged well, the jokes don’t land, Jimmy Fallon is annoying, the special effects are ugly. It isn’t a bad movie, you can watch it but you will probably lose interest 30 minutes in. I suggest you watch this movie if you want something in the back ground that you don’t have to pay attention to.

It’s a very middle of the road movie. It’s not funny enough, not interesting enough, not exciting enough. It is just a movie you put on to pass some time and forget you ever watched it. You can do a lot worse for free.

Youtube Reviews: Bandslam (2009)

There isn’t too much to say about this movie.  It isn’t impressive and hasn’t aged very well. It isn’t bad, it’s just a another kids movie where the goal is to win the battle of the bands. If you’ve seen one, you’ve have seen them all. But don’t let that dissuade you, it is no where near being the worst movie on the platform.

This movie probably isn’t for the regular movie goer. It is good if you have kids.  The plot is simple, the characters are awkward but likable, and the some of the music is decent. Don’t worry, it doesn’t have any of that repetitive, torturous toddler music. The performances in this movie are also pretty solid. The main character really feels like this geeky kid who is passionate about music. The friend group in this movie feels like a real group of kids who are in a band together. If you have to watch this, you won’t want to kill yourself.
 

My only real issue with the  movie is that I never really got into Ska. There was a bit too much ska in this movie for my taste, but that in no way ruined my experience. I just wish it had more punk or even some of the emo stuff they tease you with.

Watch this movie this if you have nothing else to do. Throw it on if you have kids. Skip it if you hate ska.