07 Nov 2026
I was thinking back to the It movies from 2017 and 2019. Although they were well received, I remember finding them a tad overrated. I went in blind to the source material, expecting a horror masterpiece. I simply couldn’t connect with the story for some reason.
After consuming so much fiction (over 2,000 movies and more!) from nearly every genre in existence, I’ve figured out why. A very specific writing trap can make me mentally disconnect from the material even in the midst of the most intense battle sequences.
I don’t think I’m overly particular about this and I’m sure many can relate.
I call it the problem of “when anything goes” and it seems most prevalent in fantasy fiction.
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MR
19 May 2026
This is a cleverly crafted screenplay that could have simply dropped the “Part I” in its title and the “to be continued” at the end, if Universal had decided it wasn’t good enough to greenlight a sequel. Without its sequel (which I haven’t seen yet), Wicked: Part I starts with a question - “why do some people turn out wicked?” It does a more-than-adequate job of answering that in the form of a self-contained origin story of a well-known antagonist.
This film embodies all 85 years of filmmaking advancements, changing sensibilities, and evolving the grammar of visual storytelling since The Wizard of Oz (1939). Much like watching Tron before Tron: Legacy, I recommend watching the original before this. It’s worth it.
7/10 ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
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MR
04 Apr 2026
The story and the idea behind it are so good, but the screenplay falls apart so quickly.
I couldn’t help but think how this movie should have been a game. An interactive experience with an 8+ hour timer and a bunch of explorable menus would have done this concept justice. Makes me wonder if someone could write a custom storyline as a Hacknet Extension using the “prove your innocence” idea.
5/10 ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆
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MR
15 Feb 2026
During the marketing and release cycle of this movie, I didn’t have high hopes. A Predator movie with a non-English-speaking alien as the protagonist? I had doubts.
It’s a small story that takes place over a short period of time. And in this little tale, every detail is perfect. There are loads of set-ups and payoffs. Multiple characters’ arcs are surprisingly poignant. One of them is of a species that have so far been portrayed as cold, not-so-relatable killing machines.
The inclusion of Wayland-Yutani was icing on the cake.
Dan Trachtenberg is leading a Renaissance era for this franchise.
9/10 ★★★★★★★★★☆
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MR
02 Feb 2026
This is a first in my new series, Micro Reviews. I won’t review every film I watch; that would get tedious and make movies un-fun quick. However, the occasional movie comes along that provokes enough thought to justify jotting down a few of them. See all my micro reviews here.
I’ve been thinking of doing this for a while. Why not start with the 2,000th movie that I recently rated on IMDb? I have bonus thoughts on the American remake from 6 years later. Double-feature micro reviews will be uncommon, I think, but let’s bend the rules this one time.
It’s very, very hard to judge and rate a movie that was not only released 72 years ago, but also with the backdrop of a place, culture and sensibilities that I’m unfamiliar with. I appreciate Seven Samurai (1954) for a lot. There are memorable characters with distinct personalities (Kikuchiyo!). There is notable clarity in visual storytelling, such as tracking the number of downed enemies, even if some action moments were harder to follow. While the journey was interesting, the ending lacked a kind of punch that I was hoping for.
I would recommend this movie to people intrigued by film history, but not widely.
7/10 ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
The Magnificent Seven (1960) is a faithful adaptation that’s more palatable to my sensibilities. Props for not making it a scene-by-scene remake and for remixing characters and dynamics instead. It didn’t hold my attention fully, but I liked it as a product of its time. Ultimately, I think it will end up less memorable to me than the original.
6/10 ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆
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