Movie Review - The Lost City

Sandra Bullock films tend to be pretty good, and this one involved Indiana Jones-style action, so I figured it would be good. I didn't realize it would be REALLY good.

The Lost City is a 2022 romantic adventure comedy. It is rated PG-13 for language and sexual innuendos. It is appropriate for teens and up.

The Good

Comedy. The real strength of this movie is the comedy. It was really funny with unexpected jokes.

Visuals. This film was a visual treat from the hotel to the bad guy's lair to the lost island in the middle of the ocean.

Concept. While making a movie about a writer is far from original, this didn't fell like the same old tired story I've seen too many times. They managed to throw in enough to make it interesting and not feel stale.

The Bad

Dash. I understand what the filmmakers were going for when they made Dash, the main male protagonist, so wimpy at the beginning of the film to give him growth and an arc, but they went too far and made him a bit unlikable. It was hard to root for him or feel glad at his growth.

Overall

The Lost City is a 2022 romantic adventure comedy. While making a movie about a writer is far from original, this didn't fell like the same old tired story I've seen too many times. They managed to throw in enough to make it interesting and not feel stale. This film was a visual treat from the hotel to the bad guy's lair to the lost island in the middle of the ocean. The real strength of this movie is the comedy. It was really funny with unexpected jokes. I understand what the filmmakers were going for when they made Dash, the main male protagonist, so wimpy at the beginning of the film to give him growth and an arc, but they went too far and made him a bit unlikable. It was hard to root for him or feel glad at his growth. I highly recommend this movie and give it 4.5 out of 5 boxes of popcorn. 

  

Movie Review - The Batman (2022 film)

There have been several Batman films that I've loved, a few I've liked, and some I didn't care for. The trailer made this movie look like it would fall into category 3, but all the positive hype convinced me to watch it anyway.

The Batman is a 2022 crime drama and mystery film. It is rated PG-13 for language, violence, and disturbing images. It is appropriate for teens and up.

The Good

Mystery. This movie has a really good mystery. The first 2.5 hours really hold your attention as it moves from one clue to the next with an interesting conclusion.

Sets & Architecture. The buildings and sets had a real artistic feel to them and added to the gothic feel. If only they had been better lit so we could have seen them better and enjoyed them more.

Music. There were several cues that hearkened back to Danny Elfman's score on Batman Returns that were really nice and added to the atmosphere and were the only parts that made the film feel like Batman.

The Bad

Not Batman. This was NOT a Batman film. The main character could have been called the Purple Giraffe and would have made as much sense. This film lacked the Batman costume and movements, the cool gadgets, cool vehicles, and bizarre villains. Batman was very generic and just walked around in his nondescript costume.

Pacing. This movie is paced like a miniseries on a streaming service like Netflix. It felt like a collection of individual episodes each with rising action and a climax instead of one cohesive unit.

Color. This movie was so dull looking with nothing but greys and browns. Blah.

Disappointing Ending. If this movie had ended 30 minutes sooner, it would have been really good. But unfortunately the movie continues with one epilogue after another that just make the movie disappointing. They add nothing to the overall story or characters.

Commissioner Gordon. This part was badly miscast and badly written. He was uninteresting and uninspiring. He isn't very smart and just does what Batman tells him to do. He can't figure out anything himself or take any initiative.

Overall

The Batman is a 2022 crime drama and mystery film. This movie has a really good mystery. The first 2.5 hours really hold your attention as it moves from one clue to the next with an interesting conclusion. This movie is paced like a miniseries on a streaming service like Netflix. It felt like a collection of individual episodes each with rising action and a climax instead of one cohesive unit. This was NOT a Batman film. The main character could have been called the Purple Giraffe and would have made as much sense. This film lacked the Batman costume and movements, the cool gadgets, cool vehicles, and bizarre villains. Batman was very generic and just walked around in his nondescript costume. Commissioner Gordon was badly miscast and badly written. He was uninteresting and uninspiring. He isn't very smart and just does what Batman tells him to do. He can't figure out anything himself or take any initiative.The buildings and sets had a real artistic feel to them and added to the gothic feel. If only they had been better lit so we could have seen them better and enjoyed them more. This movie was so dull looking with nothing but greys and browns. Blah. If this movie had ended 30 minutes sooner, it would have been really good. But unfortunately the movie continues with one epilogue after another that just make the movie disappointing. They add nothing to the overall story or characters. I give it 3.5 out of 5 boxes of popcorn.