Recent Viewings, Part 2

[M.10rda]

I love it when screenwriters name major characters after celebrities.    Why???

[Rev. Powell]

I love it when screenwriters name major characters after celebrities.    Why???

They were blatant about it in the advertising. "Neuroscientist Jennifer Connelly invents..." Actually fooled me at first---what's Connelly doing in this microbudget film?---then I quickly figured it out.

[Dr. Whom]

The Wild Robot (2024)

A robot designed as a domestic helper gets shipwrecked on an island and becomes the adoptive mother of an orphaned runt gosling.

I liked this a lot better than I thought I would. The Miyazaki is strong in this one, notably in the design of the robot, but instead of just injecting some random whimsy (looking at you, Suzume) it also has the heart of a Miyazaki movie. It avoids annoying comic relief and its universe is more dangerous than your average kids feature. At the end of day, it still is a feel good movie aimed at a younger audience, but a very enjoyable one at that.

[FatFreddysCat]

"Ted" (2012)
In 1985, 8 year old John Bennett's wish that his new teddy bear would come to life comes true, and the two swear to be best friends forever.
25 years later, however, Ted's drunken pot smoking ways have become a threat to the now-grown up John (Mark Wahlberg)'s shot at true happiness with his girlfriend (Mila Kunis).
Seth "Family Guy" MacFarlane's directorial debut makes the most of its absurd premise and even manages to have a sweet side amidst the raunchy gags. Silly comedy/fantasy fun.

[lester1/2jr]

The Bay (2012) - Highly lauded on the reddit found footage board I was perusing, this is more or less a Syfy animals attack movie done with a straight face. There's even a Jaws-type mayor who's in denial about the suddenly deadly, isopod infested Chesapeake Bay. Very shocking that a movie that combines FF horror with Syfy cheese would find an audience among people who write on message boards, right? Luckily, this one is fairly sensible and mostly well done (albeit with one gigantic plot hole).

The town of whatever it is that has summer tourism due to it's proximity to The Bay has gotten involved in the chicken industry, which has resulted in tons of chicken s**t that's loaded with steroids flooding into the bay. "Who cares?" says the dips**t, never seen Jaws mayor. One day, the chicken s**t hits the fan and it's left to a very cute reporter who was there and her team to later on assemble the footage to see what happened.

It's impossible today or in 2012 that people wouldn't have taken to social media to describe what was going on *, but if you can overlook that it's worth checking out.

4.25 /5

* (they kind of try to explain it)

[Rev. Powell]

DANGEROUS ANIMALS (2025): An Australian serial killer is obsessed with sharks. Nifty nautical thriller. The most dangerous animal really is man (well, actually the mosquito, but man is a close second). I personally really like movies where the hero(ine)'s means are limited and they have to use their wits to survive, and this one delivers. 3.5/5.

[zombie no.one]

CARLITO'S WAY (1993)

listened to a podcast about this recently so decided to re-watch (one previous attempt at a watch, not sure if I even finished it?)

the older I get, the more I can deal with Al Pacino's brand of big hammy bravado without wanting to switch off. I still find him bizarrely unconvincing as an actor though.

it tries to be a bit GOODFELLAS with the voiceover style, but the film is too 'surface' in too many ways to compare with that masterpiece. it's like a Duplo to that film's Lego.

found it fairly engaging though. this bodes well. next I might attempt to rewatch HEAT and actually get to the end.

[FatFreddysCat]

"The Beekeeper" (2024)
When his kindly landlady is driven to suicide after falling for a phishing scam, a retired deep-cover operative (Jason Statham) vows to track down and punish those responsible. Much mayhem follows in this entertaining butt kicker from the director of "Suicide Squad." A sequel is reportedly already in the works.