Sunday, January 14, 2018

Review of Movies I watched in 2017


On December 31, 2016, one of my friends (Dean) posted how many movies he had watched in 2016.  I thought, "That's neat!  He kept track of the movies he watched."  Then I further went on to think how fun it would be to keep track of every single movie I watched in 2017.  So I did.


 The following day I then also added to my idea of why not give a simple rating and a short review of each movie.  I rather enjoyed the thought, so here is the result of that.  It is what it is, my opinion.  If you don't like, well to bad.  If you think I have good movie taste then I hope this shows you a new movie that you haven't seen that you will now go watch and enjoy!  I wrote this for the sole purpose of my enjoyment.

The following list is of the movies that this was the first time I ever watched them.

The rating system
1/5 – This an absolutely TERRIBLE movie.  It’s not fun watching with others, it’s just crap.  Don’t bother watching it.
2/5 – So this isn’t some masterpiece, but for some reason it’s bearable with friends.  Don’t expect too much and just laugh at how bad it is.
3/5 – It’s a good movie, something worth watching for sure, but maybe only once.  I wouldn’t say it was a waste of my time, but maybe it’s not for everybody.
4/5 – We are starting to talk masterpiece here.  This is a movie you can expect to be sitting on my shelf because I’ve watched this movie several times and plan to watch it several more times.
5/5 – Masterpiece.  Pure and simple.  If you haven’t seen this movie yet, you are missing out (IMO).  If you disagree with me on this rating, I probably won’t ever listen to your movie suggestions again.

(Also sometimes I will probably use halves in review ratings)

The paragraph review
I might rant on some, depending on how good or terrible it is, but simply put, each movie will get a “paragraph review” stating my opinions on said movie.  It will probably also be noticeable how much I enjoyed the movie as I will probably recall moments of the movies I actually liked and remember.  While others… not so much.

Pitch Perfect – 01/01/2017 (Jenny & Caleb’s Apartment)
3/5
I didn’t know much about this movie, but I was thoroughly surprised and found myself enjoying it more than I thought I would.  It was cute and quirky and had some cameos of some of my favorite actors and actresses.  Worth a watch.

Sausage Party – 01/04/2017 (Matt’s house)
2/5
It had its moments, but that’s about it.  It’s personally not my kind of movie at all.  It’s a hit and miss with these kind of movies.  I watched it with friends and it made it bearable for me, but if I hadn’t watched it with friends, the rating probably would have been a 1/5.



Finding Dory – 01/05/2017 (My house)
4/5
What an awesome sequel, that in my opinion, is better than the first movie, Finding Nemo, by a long shot!  It introduced some amazing new characters while revisiting others and was just all together quite an enjoyable experience!  I’m sad to say I don’t own it yet, but I will one day!  The best part by far is Gerald the sea lion.

The Proposal – 01/07/2017 (My wife’s parent’s house)
3/5
This movie I don’t remember perfectly, but I remember that again it had moments, and it wasn’t terrible.  It’s a classic chic flic that my wife wanted me to watch, and I’ll say that I wasn’t begging for it to end.  Mainly because of Ryan Reynolds.

This is the end – 01/14/2017 (Matt’s house)
1/5
That rating upset my wife.  This again just isn’t my type of movie.  It had some moments that were yes funny, but overall I just didn’t really like the theme of the movie or the idea of it all.  Danny McBride was the saving grace of this film along with the of course many, and I mean, MANY cameos, that were mostly in the beginning of the film.  After the beginning it went pretty far downhill for me.

The Hunger Games Mockingjay Pt. 2 – 01/25/2017 (My house)
3/5
I didn’t hear a lot about this movie that marked the end of the series, which surprised me because all the others had raised such a fuss.  I’ll say, it wasn’t the best in the series, but it definitely wasn’t the worst.  It left some questions about what exactly happened, but I think they wrapped it up the best they could in light of a quite unfortunate event.  I enjoyed the majority of the movie.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople – 02/03/2017 (My house)
3/5
This was a movie my wife picked out on Hulu for us to watch and I wasn’t too interested at first, but I wish I had been.  This movie was surprisingly good, and I really enjoyed it!  It had a great cameo that I didn’t see coming, and the humor was very well delivered.



Daddy’s Home – 02/04/2017 (My house)
3/5
I love Will Ferrell, so if he is in a movie, there is a good chance I’m going to love it.  Hannibal Buress was also an excellent random character that always just brought a laugh out of me whenever he made an appearance.  I would say it is worth a watch!

St. Vincent – 02/05/2017 (My house)
3/5
You can’t go wrong with Bill Murray, enough said.  It was funny, it was cute, & it was sad.  This is one of those movies for me that for some reason you don't really want to start it, but you'll know you will probably enjoy it.  I was happy that I finally got around to watching it.

Woman in Gold – 02/08/2017 (My house)
3/5
This was a surprisingly good movie!  It had an interesting tale that I have never heard of before, and it was refreshingly different!  If you like Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds, you are in for a treat.

The Girl on the Train – 02/17/2017 (My house)
3/5
This was an interesting movie.  My wife is big into thriller mysteries, so I of course get dragged into them as well.  It’s not the best of its genre but it definitely isn’t the worst.  My wife tells me that of course the book was better, but she said this was still a good adaptation.  I found myself pulled in and itching to know what was going to happen next.

Phantom of the Opera – 02/18/2017 (My house)
2/5
I’m sorry, get mad at me if you want, I don’t care.  I found myself annoying the crap out of my wife and her friends as I constantly made fun of the movie as it played.  Not my cup of tea I’ll say, but I enjoyed myself while making my own remix of the songs.



Hunchback of Notre Dame – 02/18/2017 (My house)
3/5
This may surprise you that I have never watched this movie before, but my mom was careful as to what she let me watch as a kid, which I’m grateful for.  This movie shocked me, I couldn’t believe some of the subjects that were addressed in this supposedly kid’s movie.  It’s a great movie though, and definitely should watch it at least once, probably when your older though so as to actually understand what is going on.

The Nice Guys – 02/21/2017 (My house)
3/5
Meh.

Sing Street – 02/28/2017 (My house)
4.5/5
I’ll have to say that this was a hard one to call, that’s why I had to give it the half.  This was a FANTASTIC movie don’t get me wrong, but I just can’t say that it was a masterpiece.  I just feel like there could’ve been a better ending, but that’s my opinion.  This movie is incredible though and if you haven’t already watched it, you need to watch it ASAP. 

Hacksaw Ridge – 03/02/2017 (My house)
5/5
This movie in my opinion was the best film to come out of 2016, BY A LONGSHOT!  What an incredible true story!  I can’t believe this story hasn’t ever been told on the big screen before.  I’m not going to say a lot about it, but you need to watch it!  The Amazing Spiderman reboot kind of put a bad taste in my mouth when I thought of Andrew Garfield, but this movie washed that right out.  Oh my goodness, just watch it, such an amazing and surprising cast.



Arrival – 03/03/2017 (My house)
4/5
Man… this movie.  I’m not a fan of spoilers if you haven’t already figured that one out, but I’m just going to say that this movie could have been a masterpiece, but the beginning just was to… just to… slow.  Whoever came up with the pacing for the beginning needs to be fired.  The movie is worth watching, definitely, just make sure and pay attention during the beginning and don’t start nodding off.  I promise.  It gets better.

Manchester by the Sea – 03/11/2017 (My house)
1/5
Was this some kind of joke?  Did I miss some cue?  Why did this win Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay?  How many other amazing movies came out in 2016?  I started this movie expecting to be wowed.  Instead I found myself barely hanging on to finish it, what a chore.  This was a huge disappointment.  Who likes this movie?  I can’t find anyone who actually enjoyed it besides some people who I don’t really follow their logic when it comes to what makes a good movie.  The whole thing was bland.  Grey.  Boring.  Please.  Don’t waste your time with this film.  Watch something else that’s more worth your while, like one of the past three movies I just reviewed.

Kung Fury – 03/21/2017 (Matt’s house)
4/5
If you have half an hour and want to laugh until you cry, boy do I have the movie for you.  If you like time-traveling nazi-killing Kung Fu heroes, then look no further, sit down, and get yourself educated on how Hitler was really taken out.

Pulp Fiction – 03/22/2017 (Matt’s house)
3/5
Some things in movies are just… kind of distasteful in my opinion, and would be better left out all entirely.  This movie is great, but I could have done without seeing some parts of this movie.  It’s a classic, if you haven’t seen it, watch it, just maybe.  I don’t know.  Look at IMDB’s parent’s guide if you’re worried about certain stuff.



Moana – 03/25/2017 (My house)
4/5
Just thinking about this movie put a smile on my face.  Do I really need to say anything other than it’s an animated movie from Disney?  Do I?

Fantastic Beasts – 03/28/2017 (My house)
4/5
I’m going to have to say that this movie was better than all seven Harry Potter’s combined.  I loved this film!  Everything about it was fantastic, and best part is you really don’t have to be caught up on the prior Potter films to enjoy this one.  It’s got Ezra Miller in it for Pete’s sake!

Goodfellas – 04/19/2017 (Matt’s house)
3/5
Some movies stand the test of time.  Others… well, let’s just say there are better mafia movies out now that are far superior to Goodfellas.  I understand it’s a classic, I’m just saying it’s not a good classic.  Go watch The Departed instead, if you already have watched everything else and enjoy mafia movies, then watch Goodfellas, just don’t expect much.

Lion – 04/22/2017 (My house)
5/5
There are few movies that will make me cry.  This one did it.  This is an incredible true story and a beautiful masterpiece of a woeful tale portrayed perfectly on the silver screen.  I don’t feel like I really need to say more other than you should really watch it.

Sing – 04/23/2017 (My house)
3/5
It was ok, I didn’t expect much from it, and I didn’t get much from it.  I enjoyed it, Dreamworks puts out good stuff time from time.  It definitely has several good laughs in it.  Just a kind of happy good feeling movie.



Kubo & The Two Strings – 04/25/2017 (My house)
4/5
After the first time I saw the teaser trailer for this movie, I knew immediately that I wanted to see it.  It's rare that I'm so pulled into a movie with one single strum of an instrument, but that trailer did it.  This is a fantastic movie about loss and dealing with it.  The art and style of the movie is captivating and the story intriguing.  Well worth owning and watching over, and over, and over.

La La Land – 04/28/2017 (My house)
1/5
Hate me all you want; this movie was terrible.  It had so much potential, but stunning effects and poster perfect shots don’t do it for me.  Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling just don’t play off of each other very well in some scenes, and the fight that started the downward spiral for everything just seemed so… forced.  Like well we want the story to go this way so time to get mad over nothing.  Not worth your time, go watch the Music Man or Singing in the Rain instead.

X-men Apocalypse – 05/01/2017 (My house)
4/5
I’m going to be honest.  The only reason I gave this movie a 4 out of a 5 is because of Quicksilver.  The rest of the movie is a 3 out of a 5, still a great movie, just not as good as the last one. 

Next – 05/02/2017 (Matt’s house)
2/5
Ok.  Matt and I just can’t get enough of Nicholas Cage.  It’s our thing, after watching Con Air, we are just on a spree to watch every single movie with him in it.  It’s probably not your thing, which I understand, but we love quoting these Cage movies, it’s fantastic.  This movie is crap, but man, gotta love the Cage.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 – 05/05/2017 (Theater)
5/5
If you didn’t enjoy GOTG Vol. 2, get out.  This movie was amazing, the characters developed so much from the previous film and they developed together so well.  If you think anything was forced, then I’m about to force- …never mind. I really love this movie, if you didn’t, I’m sorry.

The Place Beyond the Pines – 06/04/2017 (My house)
4/5
I have a soft spot for Ryan Gosling and this movies story was quite different and that’s what makes it so good.  My wife thinks it should be a 5/5, but she isn’t writing this.  It could have been better.  For instance, if maybe yOU DIDN’T FRICKIN' KILL OFF-  sorry, getting sidetracked.

The LEGO Batman Movie – 06/18/2017 (My house)
4/5
If you liked the Lego Movie, then let me tell you, you’re going to love this one!  Will Arnett has quickly earned a special place in my heart ever since Arrested Development and he does a great batman voice, this movie is just fantastic and well worth a watch. 

Zodiac – 06/30/2017 (My house)
4.5/5
Holy crap.  Holy crap!  Holy frickin’ crap!  This movie is awesome!  It’s a long one, but it is well worth the watch, very few movies have me gripping the sides of my chair in anticipation, but this one did an excellent job at that.  I never really knew much about the Zodiac killer, and if you don't either then this is a great way to become informed.

Legally Blonde – 07/08/2017 (My house)
3/5
I love Jennifer Coolidge.  Whenever her warm smiling face appears on the screen I just can’t but help smile back.  This movie was rather enjoyable, and I had a good laugh.  It’s worth watching in my books.

A Beautiful Mind – 07/14/2017 (My house)
4/5
This true story is a tale I had never heard of before and glad I hadn’t.  I enjoyed the movie, but I’m not going to say much more than that about it in case you have never seen it before.  I would say it is worth watching for sure and is definitely a fantastic performance by Russel Crowe.



Spiderman: Homecoming – 07/15/2017 (Theater)
4/5
A lot of people would probably say, “Finally!  A good spider-man movie!”.  I would be like it was a great reboot, but I don’t care what you say, I loved Tobey Maguire as spiderman.  Anyway that’s not what I’m supposed to be talking about, Tom Holland is an excellent spiderman for sure!  I really enjoyed the movie it was pretty great, the villain was a little weak, but that’s ok because it made sense.  Spiderman was just starting out and he needed someone who was more on his playing level.  He just became spiderman, he isn't going to be perfect at it, so all in all, this was a great way to reboot the franchise!

John Wick – 07/16/2017 (My house)
4/5
IIIIIII loooooooooved this movie!  It’s a guy flic, for sure.  My wife did not like this movie.  In the least bit.  If you like Die Hard, you’re going to love this movie.  It’s brilliant.  Keanu Reeves is just so perfect at playing the Boogieman.  Just an awesome shoot 'em up.

I am Legend – 07/27/2017 (My house)
4/5
 This movie reminded me of what an amazing actor Will Smith is.  I don't feel like I'm watching Will Smith, I feel like I'm watching Robert Neville and his legend.  I'm sad that I waited this long to watch this.

Silence – 07/28/2017 (My house)
5/5
I was completely blown away by this brilliant movie about the hidden Christians of Japan.  This movie is not for the light-hearted, and just continued to reassure me of how amazing an actor Andrew Garfield is.  This movie is very heavy on the theological side and if you don't want to question everything, I wouldn't watch this.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall 07/29/2017 (My house)
3/5
Another flick that my wife loves and made me watch and I really enjoyed it as well!  It has a great cast and besides the unnecessary phallic shots in the beginning it is hilarious!  I found myself laughing hysterically throughout the film.

The Shack 08/03/2017 (Parent's house)
3/5
This is the movie adaption of the book which according to my mom missed a lot of the important aspects of the book.  It still shows some really good points and is quite heartbreaking, but yet redeeming at the same time in a way where I'm not just completely depressed after finishing the movie.

Midnight in Paris 08/07/2017 (My house)
4/5
I wish this wasn't a Woody Allen movie, but I'm going to look past that and say that this is my favorite movie that Owen Wilson stars in as one of the main characters.  It has a stellar cast and is quite a lovely romantic tale about a man who believes himself to be born in the wrong time.  This is one of those movies that afterward you just wish you could forget it and watch it again so you can feel the same way again over and over.

Cloud Atlas – 08/09/2017 (My house)
4/5
The whole concept behind this movie was quite enthralling and entertaining to watch unfold.  The cast was fantastic and performed wonderfully as multiple characters with differing personalities.  I would watch it alone just for Tom Hanks and Hugo Weaving.

Fracture 09/01/2017 (My house)
2/5
This is quite a forgettable movie.  I had to look it up because  forgot what the movie was even about and it had only been three months.  I asked my wife and she was the same way and she was the one who wanted to watch it in the first place.  I wouldn't waste your time with this one.

Gifted – 09/04/2017 (My house)
4/5
This movie hit me a little harder than most probably because of the similar events that happened in my life.  It is nice to see Chris Evans playing someone other than Captain America, it's been awhile it feels like.  I thought it to have a great narrative and I would definitely recommend it.

Batman – 09/08/2017 (My house)
3/5
I don't understand why people like Keaton as batman.  He is a pretty terrible Bruce Wayne IMHO and not that great of a batman.  I will say that Jack Nicholson is a faaaaantastic Joker!  He makes the movie worth it for sure!

Beauty and the Beast 09/26/2017 (My house)
3/5
This was a pretty well done live action adaption of the original.  I enjoyed it, but it will never beat the original.  I will have to say that Emma Watson did not do a very good job as Bell though.  There were several scenes that just immediately had me thinking, "Really?  Didn't think it would be a good idea to reshoot

Wonder Woman – 09/29/2017 (My house)
3/5
I actually enjoyed this DC movie!  Wonder Woman by far is the best thing to come out of this universe so far.  My only issue is the ending.  I was not satisfied with the resolution and thought it would have been far better movie if this was the build up for a great villain for the Justice League to fight.

Shaolin Soccer 10/02/2017 (Hotel room)
3/5
This was a movie you think would be a 2/5 but surprises you and you find yourself laughing with the movie instead of at it.  My friends had picked it out as a movie just to play in the background while doing other things, but I found myself giving it my whole attention.  By the end of it I was sitting cross-legged in front of the TV after starting out all the way across the room on the bed.

Baby Driver 10/15/2017 (My house)
3.5/5
This movie... I love Edgar Wright as a director, but the ending of this movie just hits to close to home.  Looking past the ending, the sound track is excellent and I loved that for once a movie wasn't based in NYC, Seattle, Chicago, etc., but was actually in Atlanta!  I still enjoyed it thoroughly, but I can't give it a 4 even though pretty much every single other Edgar Wright movie I probably would.

Turner & Hooch 10/28/2017 (Parent's house)
1/5
Just absolute garbage.  What the heck.

Absolutely Anything 11/07/2017 (Matt's house)
4/5
I'm a simple man, I see Simon Pegg, I watch.  I am rather happy that I did with this one!  It was hilarious and was refreshing to watch such a different comedy!  I absolutely loved it, really worth watching!

Trolls 11/19/2017 (My house)
3/5
It was cuter than I thought it would be.  Nothing special, if you're bored it isn't a complete waste of time.  It has some moments.

Thor: Ragnorak 11/21/2017 (Theater)
5/5
The best Thor movie yet by FAR!  I did not expect this at all!  I love Goldblum whenever he shows up in a movie, and he was perfect for this role.  I'm so glad Hulk finally isn't a mindless brute as they seem to have portrayed him in the past and Cate Blanchett was a great goddess of death!  The cherry on top for me was Karl Urban!  After LOTR I just love seeing him pop up!

The Voices 11/28/2017 (Matt's house)
3/5
I knew nothing about this movie going in, but the intro credits made me begin to think and I guessed it before it happened.  I love Ryan Reynolds and this is a great dark comedy.  I would say that the end credit scene is worth pushing through the rather dark middle and extremely dark end.

9 11/30/2017 (My house)
3/5
This beautifully animated movie about sackcloth dolls is definitely an interesting watch.  I would say worth one good watch and further proof as to why we need to shut down Sophia before it's to late.

The Imposter 12/03/2017 (My house)
4/5
I'm not a big fan of documentaries, but I'm going to say I really enjoyed this one.  If you trust my opinion on movies after reading everything above this, then don't look up anything about this movie and just watch it.  If not, your loss.

Logan Lucky 12/10/2017 (My house)
3.5/5
Redneck version of Ocean's Eleven, but better.

Boss Baby 12/19/2017 (Matt's house)
2/5
Meeeeeh... I mean, there was some parts that made me laugh, I'll admit that much.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi 12/23/2017 (Theater)
2/5
What the heck Rian Johnson?!  The only reason this isn't a one is because the actors did a pretty fantastic job (especially Mark Hamill and Benicio Del Toro).  What the frick dude... I'm not going to rant because there are plenty of others that have done a far better job than I would ever do, but I will say you didn't have to do that to Luke.  You really didn't.

Bright 12/25/2017 (Parent's house)
3/5
This was a really interesting movie that delves into this world that has this obvious very rich history thought out, but it decided it didn't have to explain everything about it to tell its story, which was nice!  It's different, and it's actually good!

The-out-of-towners 12/30/2017 (Friend's house)
3/5
If you like Steve Martin then this is a great movie for you!  It's older and you would expect that the jokes wouldn't hold up the test of time, but they did!  It's still really enjoyable and I would definitely recommend it.

Well that concludes 2017, here's to 2018!      

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