The Last Movies You Saw... and What You Thought Of them!

I have watched a lot of movies during the summer, so here are some of my thoughts about them.

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I will admit that I didn't see Disney's Raya and the Last Dragon in theaters (because I am still afraid to go back into movie theaters with the pandemic still ongoing) or watched it through Disney+ Premier Access (as it was too expensive for me, and I waited until the film's premier access was over so I can watch it without having to pay an extra $29.99 to watch it), but I thought it was a fantastic film full of heart, humor, and action. I loved the film's excellent cultural representation of Southeast Asia, and I believe that the animators captured its beauty and glory even if the film is set in a fantasy version of the area.

While the film's story isn't all that special, Raya and the Last Dragon succeeds in making a believable world where the central conflict arises from restoring peace between the lands, an empowering female lead in Raya who is not like an invincible superhero that wins all of her fights easily, and the excellently casted voice actors. I especially enjoyed the titular last dragon Sisu's clever jokes that lightens the mood of several scenes that's she is in, and the heartfelt messages about community and peace.

Bottom line, this film is worth a watch.

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I watched Disney and Pixar's Luca on Disney+ and I will say that it is an absolutely adorable movie about two sea monsters named Luca and Alberto who have fun in a Italian riverside town for the summer. Along the way, they try to hide their secret from the people in town by trying to avoid touching or landing in the water or getting splashed by it, as well as trying to avoid Luca's parents along the way. I love that how while Luca may seem at first glance to be a typical "fish out of water" story, it can also be read as an story of longing for acceptance for who you truly are as a person and from your parents.

The animation gorgeously captures Italy in a way that made me actually want to spend a summer vacation there, the music is excellent, the voice cast was well-chosen and deliver great performances, and what more can I say about this film that makes it worth rewatching during a summer break.

Bottom line, this film is definitely worth a watch if you are looking for a sweet, family-friendly movie to watch during the summer.

I don't watch all too many movies honestly, I'm having trouble remembering which one I saw last!
for first-time watching, Turning Red I think? that was a really good movie, 9/10 probably one of my favorite Pixar movies (tho nothing has topped Ratatouille and Wall-e yet), would happily rewatch.

I saw The Bad Guys in theaters on opening night! I really loved it, and the animation looks amazing! One of my favorite movies of all time!

Jurassic World Dominion
This Movie Is a Joke

Everything everywhere all at once

Just Wow

I finally got around to seeing Brazil after years of hearing about it and more recently, a friend checking it out and having it as her new favorite movie (being a fan of Terry Gilliam). I'm all here for pitch black comedic, satirical films, so why not.

I haven't had such an overwhelming reaction to a film in a very long time, hitting me in this most viscerally raw way possible. I was in awe by it with my first watch and I fell in love with it on my second (since I had a 48hr rental). There's so many words you could use to describe the film and how it tackles bureaucracy and paranoia in an Orwellean dystopia. The reviews you'll come across on Letterboxd could explain it in a more intellectual and eloquent way than I ever could, but at the core of it, it's one of those movies you have to see for yourself to understand and appreciate it; much like how people talk about other high profile films like Requiem for a Dream or Man Bites Dog (or even notoriously bad films like The Room and Birdemic). It's a beautiful, breathtaking, fantastical nightmare in every sense of the word. The longer I sit with it, the more it grows on me and I resonate with not only Sam Lowry, but also the supporting characters of Harry Tuttle and Jill Layton - even morally ambiguous figures like Jack Lint, whom, when you see in-depth reviews analyzing the film, show the different brushstrokes to the world that Gilliam (and company) created and that it's not entirely black and white. Plus, the soundtrack provided by Michael Kamen is just beautiful. You'll find it hard to not hum along to the variations of the song the film is named after after a while.

If you haven't seen it, consider giving it a watch some time. It's very rare for me to find a movie that resonates with me on such a deep level, let alone finding its way to becoming one of my new all-time favorites. It's available to rent on YouTube, but is also on other streaming platforms as well. And yes, this can be considered a Christmas film, so add it to your watchlist alongside Die Hard.

The Black Phone (2022)

It's A Okay Film But Forgettable

I always found the original immensely overrated and not scary at all, all that movie did was give me a headache and bore me. I honestly liked Blair Witch 2 better as it had better characters and a more interesting plot(and didn't give me a migraine so that's definitely a plus).