The Quintessentialist

 Top 5 Best Films Of 2021 Not What I Thought It Would Be It's that time of the year! Time to go over the Top 5 Best Films Of 2021! The Films on this list are not exactly what I expected, but I go by the rules. And speaking of rules... Here are the rules:  the movie must have been in theaters this year or it must have premiered this year, and it must have scored at minimum 4/5 and I only allow myself three 5/5 movies per year.  With that said, let's get into the list! 5. House Of Gucci Not exactly what I thought would make the list at number 5, but I found myself enjoying this drama. It's not a prefect film, but its entertaining enough and was just a solid  film. 4/5 4. Ghostbusters Afterlife I had hope going into this film that it would be good, and it lived up to my expectations. It doesn't seem like we get many kids films like this anymore, and it felt like a breath of fresh air. 4/5 3. The King's Man What a fi...

 Top 5 Worst Films Of 2021 And Here We Go Okay, okay, I know I didn't review as many films as I should have this year. A lot of stuff changed in my personal life, and the reviews got put on the back burner. I'll just be basing the list off of the movies that I did review. So, just know that numbers five and four on this list probably wouldn't have been here if I did more reviews this past year. I'll try to do better next year. This years rules will be the same as last years. Just a reminder, here are the rules:  the rules are the movie had to either been in theaters this year, or premiered this year, and the movie must have scored below a 3/5.  I'm going to make the list basically in order of scoring so the "scored below a 3/5" rule is going to tossed out this year but the "been in theaters or premiered this year" rule will still be in active. With that said, here are the Top 5 Worst Movies Of 2021! 5. Godzilla VS Kong I kinda expected more out o...

  The King's Man Movie Review A Solid Addition To The Franchise I just got out of seeing The King's Man with a friend, and I must say that this was a wonderful addition to the franchise but not in the way you would think. The King's Man follows the Oxford family at the outset of WWI and as events unfold, the inception of The Kingsman Agency commences. This film surprised me. It's a bit different in tone from the other films, but in a good way. The comedy, while present, is toned down for a more dramatic take. The King's Man is not as action packed as the previous installments, but when it is present, the flair still holds. I found the cinematography to be somewhat standard, but there are a few creative shots thrown in for good measure.  The actors played their part well. Everyone enveloped the personalities they portrayed. Rasputin isn't in the film as much as the trailers would have you believe but his scenes are well done. The Oxford family and associates are ...

House Of Gucci Movie Review A Good Drama First off, I know I'm behind on some reviews, but I want to get a couple more out before the end of the year lists. A while ago, I saw House Of Gucci. I found it to be a solid drama. House Of Gucci follows the Italian Fashion Family, Gucci and their downfall as a family all because of one person. This film is based on a true story. I don't know how accurate it is to the true events, I'm judging this review only on the merits of the film itself. House of Gucci has a great cast of actors. The cinematography is sharp. And the pacing is solid.  Adam Driver is my favorite performance in House Of Gucci. Lady Gaga also did a solid job, and I know there was a little more focus on her character, but I think Adam Driver gave a stronger performance. Jared Leto was good. He wasn't great, but he was good. Al Pacino wasn't as strong as he could have been. He felt half invested in the film except for perhaps one particular scene. The suppor...

Ghostbusters Afterlife Movie Review Not Perfect, But Still A Good Time I just got out the theater with one of my friends, and saw Ghostbusters Afterlife. I have to say I had a few worries about this film, but on the whole, I found myself enjoying it. Ghostbusters Afterlife follows the family of one of the original ghostbusters as they uncover what he was trying to do when he left the original group. First off, I want to say we are getting such great child actors right now. The acting was pretty darn entertaining for most of the film. The score was solid. The cinematography was good. The jokes had a rocky start, but got better as the film went along. Ghostbusters Afterlife honors the originals while adding its own elements. Though what they decided to do with the antagonist was a bit cliche. Mckenna Grace plays Phoebe, the protagonist of Ghostbusters Afterlife, and she steals the film. I think this is yet another one on her belt, and it shows she will have a solid career ahead of her. I...

Dune Movie Review A Slow, But Grand Epic I was able to see Dune over the weekend and I must say that it is a perhaps the first true Epic of a Film that I've seen this year. However, that doesn't mean it's not without it's faults. I'm going to use the description from IMDB for this review, " A mythic and emotionally charged hero's journey, 'Dune' tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet's exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence-a commodity capable of unlocking humanity's greatest potential-only those who can conquer their fear will survive." The cinematography is top notch in Dune. The acting is pretty solid as well. The score is a soaring. The pace, is a bit on the slower...

No Time To Die Movie Review Major Spoilers Ahead, Do Not Watch I just got out of seeing No Time To Die, the new James Bond film and the final Daniel Craig portrayal of the character. This film is trash. I'm not going to structure this review like other reviews. I just need to post a short rant. FINAL SPOILER WARNING!!! Alright, now that I got that out of the way, they kill James Bond. This is a sin against cinema. The movie was ok until it got towards the ending, but the ending just ruined it. This is just something that you don't do.  The cinematography is good. That was probably the best part of the film. I just can't get over the fact that they had the gall to kill him. As far as I'm concerned, the Craig films ended with Skyfall. final score: 0.5/5   

  2021 Halloween Playlist Well, it's that time of year again! It's time for the Halloween Playlist! I'm happy to continue this tradition. So, like each year, I build on the list from the previous years. Maybe you'll find something to add to your Halloween playlist this year too!

  Block-Heads Movie Review A Must See Comedy The other week I got to go to a special greening of the Laurel and Hardy film, Block-Heads with a friend of mine. It was played on 35mm film, and it was a roaring good time.  Block-Heads follows two WWI vets as one of them just realized the war is over 20 years late. The two friends reconnect. Alright, my synopsis is a bit simplistic, but it works. I feel as though if I gave any more details I'd be treading into spoiler territory. The chemistry between Laurel and Hardy is amazing. The comedy had me laughing and smiling the entire time. On the more technical side of things, this was a solid film with the camera work, music, and directing. It's hard to put into words explaining the joy I got from watching one of the great comedic duos on 35mm film the way it was meant to be shown. These two play off of each other so freaking well, they capture your attention from beginning to end.  Each and every joke hit! Block-Heads is a comedy...

The Suicide Squad Movie Review A Fun Time I went out and saw The Suicide Squad with one of my friends last Saturday, and I gotta say, I had a pretty fun time. I'm going to use the IMDb synopsis for this one, " Supervillains Harley Quinn, Bloodsport, Peacemaker and a collection of nutty cons at Belle Reve prison join the super-secret, super-shady Task Force X as they are dropped off at the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese." The Suicide Squad was 100% turn your brain off and enjoy type of film. It's not great, but it's good enough to put everything on pause and have some fun. The cat works well together, the action is well paced, and the cinematography along with the editing is eye-catching. This cast really plays off of each other perfectly. I would love to see them work together again. There were no "bad" performances, though I wish some characters got more screen time than others. Their chemistry had a natural flow to it. The action scenes...

Black Widow Movie Review Do Not Watch I went and saw the new Marvel film the other day, Black Widow with some friends of mine. This movie sucks. For the synopsis I'm just going to copy the IMDB : " Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger."  Black  Widow is boring. The actors have no chemistry, it's the wrong genre, and by golly the ending is stupid. I mean, how can you screw up this bad? You must be trying. The best part of Black Widow is the opening, then it goes downhill from there. You get the typical Marvel comedy in this film, but there's one joke that is solid cringe. It's done by Natasha's sister, and it should have been cut from the script.  I almost cannot describe the amo...

The Conjuring The Devil Made Me Do It Movie Review Good, But Not Great I went and saw The Conjuring The Devil Made Me Do It the other day with one of my friends, and it was a good movie. Not a great movie, but good. The Conjuring The Devil Made Me Do It continues The Conjuring Universe in this new installment where Ed and Lorraine Warren ( Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga ) face off against a new demon, but perhaps something more. The Conjuring The Devil Made Me Do It is based off the real trial ofArne Cheyenne Johnson. I'm not reviewing the accuracy of the film to the true events, I'm judging the film by itself. With that said, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga both did a fantastic job once again. I was a little disappointed that James Wan didn't direct this film, but Michael Chaves  did an alright job. The camera work was pretty solid. The music was good. The color scheme was fitting for the film. It was pretty well done on a technical side. However, there were maybe one o...

Army Of The Dead Movie Review A Fun Action Film Zach Snyder's new action film, Army Of The Dead is a fun time with some good lines that you should see with friends. Army Of The Dead follows a group of people sneaking into Las Vegas days before it's set to be nuked as the city has been overrun by zombies. The team's goal is to pull off a multimillion dollar heist and get out before the bomb is dropped.  If you like zombie films, Army Of The Dead is one I would recommend watching. The action is fun, there are some good lines, and the film has some solid CGI. I really think Zack had a blast directing this. But there are a few complaints to be made too. But first I want to highlight some of the good points. The zombies are really cool and the fight scenes are well crafted to the point there is never a dull moment. I'm impressed by how fluid and natural the fight scenes are. And oh the explosions, a couple times I could have sworn Michael Bay did some consulting (in a good w...

Godzilla VS Kong Movie Review Fun Action, Bad Acting I saw Godzilla vs Kong a bit ago with some friends of mine. The action was pretty fun but the acting in the film was stale. Godzilla vs Kong tells the story of these two titans coming together and fighting. Okay, I know that the Godzilla franchise isn't known for its human actors, but at least the ones in this film could have tried a little harder. There are some good actors in here too. The actual fight is pretty good. I wish it would have been a little longer than it was though. I honestly don't have much else to say. If you're up for a mindless action film, then Godzilla vs Kong is the one for you. final score: 3/5  

 Hey guys,  Just keeping things simple this post. I came across a really cool site that talks about Pre-Code Films and it's really interesting. If you like early 1930s cinema, check out this site:  http://pre-code.com I'll have a new review coming out tomorrow. Just wanted to share something since I haven't posted in a few weeks.

Justice League The Snyder Cut Movie Review It Was Good I just finished watching, Justice League The Snyder Cut and it was good. I don't think it was great, but it was good. I'm just going to use IMDB's description for this film, " Determined to ensure Superman's ultimate sacrifice was not in vain, Bruce Wayne aligns forces with Diana Prince with plans to recruit a team of metahumans to protect the world from an approaching threat of catastrophic proportions. The task proves more difficult than Bruce imagined, as each of the recruits must face the demons of their own pasts to transcend that which has held them back, allowing them to come together, finally forming an unprecedented league of heroes. Now united, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash may be too late to save the planet from Steppenwolf, DeSaad and Darkseid and their dreadful intentions. " So after a ton of build up, how was it? It was fine. I thought it was an enjoyable film, but it i...

  Justice League Dark: Apokolips War Movie Review This Film Is Brutal I saw Justice League Dark: Apokolips War the other night and I couldn't get this film out of my head this morning. I'm still thinking about it. This is a good movie, but be warned, it is very brutal. Justice League Dark: Apokolips War follows a large cast of characters of the DC universe as they fight Darkseid for the survival of the Earth. The movie mainly follows Superman ( Jerry O'Connell ), Constantine ( Matt Ryan ), and Raven ( Taissa Farmiga ), as they pick up the pieces and try to restore the world. I wasn't prepared for what I saw. The voice acting is great, the animation is fluid, the pacing is top notch, and the story is engaging. Justice League Dark: Apokolips War earns it's R rating and rightly so. I'm not the biggest fan of superhero movies, but this one makes me want to watch more.  I do want to note that Justice League Dark: Apokolips War is the conclusion to the DCAMU (DC Anima...

  Raya and the Last Dragon Movie Review There's a Skyrim Meme in This I saw Raya and the Last Dragon the other day with one of my friends, and it was nice to get out to a theater again.  Raya and the Last Dragon follows Raya, a warrior searching for the last Dragon to help save the world. That was probably one of the shortest plot synopsis's I've written on here. But the really question is, how was it? Well dear reader, it was fine. I mean, your kids will like it. There are some fun side characters, and there was some beautiful scenery. The musical score was also solid. The only real problem I had with Raya and the Last Dragon was the main character. I gotta say, the voice acting in this film is top notch. The actors were in their element and each and every one of them did a great job. I really loved the secondary characters in this film. They brought so much life to this production.  The music is also really solid in Raya and the Last Dragon. But this isn'...

 News Of The World Movie Review Good But Slow I just saw News Of The World and yeah, I know I'm late to the party on this one but I haven't had much of a chance to see this one.  News Of The World follows a man named Captain Kidd ( Tom Hanks ) as he travels across the West reading the news to people. He comes across a lonely girl named Johanna ( Helena Zengel ) as she is supposed to be brought to her surviving family down in Texas. She doesn't speak English and has been living with the Kiowa. Captain Kidd finds her with some papers saying that she is to be brought to some family down in Texas, and he takes it upon himself to see her there. This was a good movie, not great, but good. I think I had my exceptions a little high going into this one. The actors did fine. The technical side of News Of The World was good. But what the film was lacking was a stronger conflict.  Tom Hanks is well, Tom Hanks. He's a good actor and does very well in the film. I have no complaints a...

The Dig Movie Review A Decent Film I saw the film, The Dig a little while ago, and I thought it was an alright film. It's not for everyone, but if you enjoy archeology films, you might find yourself liking this one. The Dig follows Basil Brown as he excavates burial mounds on the land of a woman named Edith Pretty. Taking place right before British involvement in WWII. The movie has some beautiful shots in it and the lighting is spot on. I found the performances to be engaging. The movie is a bit slow at times, and its subject matter may bore some people. The music was good but standard for the genre. I really do think that the actors did a fine job. They did well with what they were given with and I can't ask for more. They were three dimensional, and believable. The main cast were the standouts though. There were one or two secondary characters that did really well, but the rest do seem to fade into the background. The lighting was really well done for this film. No shot was ...

 Happy 4 Years! Can you guys believe it? It's been four years since I started the blog. The blog has been doing pretty well. It gets around 500 views a month give or take. I wanted to thank you all for coming along on this movie journey with me, and here's to another year of reviews!

Monster Hunter Movie Review Skip This One The other day I went out with one of my friends and we saw Monster Hunter. If you haven't already passed this one up, you'll want to. Monster Hunter follows Artemis (Milla Jovovich) as she is transported to a world of monsters and must survive. Alright guys, this is going to be a short review. This movie is pretty trash. It's not even dumb fun where you can turn your brain off and watch cool action scenes, nope, just dumb. There's one section of the film that is 30 minutes too long. The ending... wait a sec... does this film technically have an ending? I suppose when the credits role that counts as an ending, but going off of basic narrative structure, no Monster Hunter does not have an ending. Don't waste your time on this film, it'll be forgotten in the dustbin of film history. There is not enough substance here for it to even gain cult status. The only redeeming quality of Monster Hunter, is that some of the monster d...

  Wonder Woman 1984 Movie Review It was ok... So, I just saw Wonder Woman 1984 the other day with my Dad, and it was ok. It's not great or anything, but it was ok. I'm going to quote IMDb for the plot, " Diana must contend with a work colleague and businessman, whose desire for extreme wealth sends the world down a path of destruction, after an ancient artifact that grants wishes goes missing." The movie came off as a little long, some of the lines fell flat, and it was pretty cheesy overall. Some of the jokes were alright, and there were a few decent action scenes. Gal Gadot was fine. The actor who played the villain, Max Lord, Pedro Pascal did a decent job.  I'm going to start off with the good. In terms of the DC franchise, it ranks somewhere in the middle. It's not bottom of the barrel, but it's not near the top. My Dad and I laughed at a few of the jokes, and there was one that did stick out to me when I watched it. Some of the action scenes were...

 Top 5 Most Anticipated Movies Of 2021 New Year New Movies! Happy New Year's Everyone! Let's hope that this year is better than the last. With that said, I've come up with a list of my Top 5 Most Anticipated Movies Of 2021. Some of these movies will be a repeat of last year's list because a ton of films got pushed. So, let's get into the list! 5.  No Time To Die  I love the James Bond Franchise and I'm excited to see if this final Daniel Craig installment will be good. I'm not as excited for it as I was last year, but I'm still pretty excited. 4. The King's Men  A lot of WWI era films have been knocking it out of the park the past few years, and plus this is a part of the King's Men franchise. Yeah I know it's fictionalized, but I think it could be promising. 3. The Matrix 4 I don't really expect much from this film, but I think it will be a visual spectacle and worth the watch at the very least. I haven't watched the Matrix films for...