Last movie you watched & your rating

[MerlinDrazziw]

Watched a movie on HBO Max yesterday: Life

The story seemed familiar and was average at best. It was nicely filmed though so I score it a little above average: 6.9/10

[Kong Wen]

I watched my ninth film of the year:

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) — 9.0/10

I'm not surprised this was good, because it was a very competently by-the-numbers action-special-effects-comedy template movie. It's actually a lot better than the trailer (which kind of worried me) made it seem. It didn't fall into the showboating / navel-gazing trap that I thought it might. Good characters, a lot of obvious little nods to D&D, some subversions of tropes. Doesn't ask too much of you. Don't need to think too hard. Just an enjoyable little ride.


2023 in Summary
05-18: 9.0/10 Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) - home cinema
05-07: 5.1/10 Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) - other home cinema
05-03: 8.4/10 The Suicide Squad (2021) - home cinema
04-30: 8.0/10 John Mulaney: Baby J (2023) - home cinema
04-21: 8.2/10 Nope (2022) - home cinema
04-20: 7.8/10 The Many Saints of Newark (2021) - home cinema
03-23: 8.1/10 The Harder They Fall (2021) - home cinema
02-19: 9.5/10 The Usual Suspects (1995) - other home cinema
01-28: 8.1/10 Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) - home cinema

[Kong Wen]

I watched my tenth film of the year:

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) — 8.6/10

This movie is simple and the plot is simple, and the characters are quite simple! But that should all be obvious. This is a template movie that uses empty shell archetype characters and a big colourful world with a load of built-in lore. That's not exactly a ground-breaking approach, but it's not offensive either. It's also definitely clearly designed for kids, with the action played very straight and lots of visual gags. Anyway, it was fun, had fun references for Mario fans, just a cute short little cartoon.


2023 in Summary
05-20: 8.6/10 The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) - laptop
05-18: 9.0/10 Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) - home cinema
05-07: 5.1/10 Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) - other home cinema
05-03: 8.4/10 The Suicide Squad (2021) - home cinema
04-30: 8.0/10 John Mulaney: Baby J (2023) - home cinema
04-21: 8.2/10 Nope (2022) - home cinema
04-20: 7.8/10 The Many Saints of Newark (2021) - home cinema
03-23: 8.1/10 The Harder They Fall (2021) - home cinema
02-19: 9.5/10 The Usual Suspects (1995) - other home cinema
01-28: 8.1/10 Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) - home cinema

[Kong Wen]

I watched my eleventh film of the year:

Georgetown (2019) — 5.0/10

I guess you'd call it a crime drama? Not really a mystery because it's not mysterious, nor a thriller because it's not thrilling lol. Kind of a character study of a shifty individual. Starring and directed by Christoph Waltz. It was OK, but kind of hampered by the fact that you know exactly what is happening at all times.

I watched my twelfth film of the year:

Arrival (2016) — 9.6/10

This was a re-watch for me, but first time viewing for my sister, nephew, and mom. Masterpiece. I love this movie.

I watched my thirteenth film of the year:

Tenet (2020) — 9.1/10

Another re-watch for me, but first time viewing for my sister and nephew. I love Tenet too. Pacing is great. It has the usual Christopher Nolan sound-mixing issues, which is slightly less excusable in this film as it was in Interstellar for example. But it's fun.

I watched my fourteenth film of the year:

Guardians of the Galaxy, vol. 3 (2023) — 7.6/10

It was good. Not as good as the first one, but probably on par with the second one. Main complaint is that it was tonally uneven, which is bound to happen when you try to do serious/dark backstory in a trippy colour & music franchise. The first half of the movie has the characters shouting (at each other) way too much, even just shouting punchlines. Made it feel like a sequel with a formula to adhere to. It came together towards the end though. Great villain.

I watched my fifteenth film of the year:

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) — 8.6/10

This was a re-watch from a couple months ago. This time I got to watch it on the big screen and brought Mrs. K along. Watching on a bigger screen gave me a better appreciation for the animation, particularly the water. I wanted to go for a swim in the nice soft flowing water under the rainbow road.


2023 in Summary
07-24: 8.6/10 The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) - home cinema
07-16: 7.6/10 Guardians of the Galaxy, vol. 3 (2023) - home cinema
07-05: 9.1/10 Tenet (2020) - other home cinema
07-02: 9.6/10 Arrival (2016) - other home cinema
06-23: 5.0/10 Georgetown (2019) - home cinema
05-20: 8.6/10 The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) - laptop
05-18: 9.0/10 Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) - home cinema
05-07: 5.1/10 Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) - other home cinema
05-03: 8.4/10 The Suicide Squad (2021) - home cinema
04-30: 8.0/10 John Mulaney: Baby J (2023) - home cinema
04-21: 8.2/10 Nope (2022) - home cinema
04-20: 7.5/10 The Many Saints of Newark (2021) - home cinema
03-23: 8.1/10 The Harder They Fall (2021) - home cinema
02-19: 9.5/10 The Usual Suspects (1995) - other home cinema
01-28: 8.1/10 Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) - home cinema

[Kong Wen]

I watched my sixteenth film of the year:

Asteroid City (2023) — 8.7/10

Watched Wes Anderson's latest, Asteroid City last night, and I think this has been the film he has been Wes Andersonning towards this whole time.

Not to say it's his best film (I don't think so), but it's pretty much the pinnacle of his stylized, staged aesthetic—much of the action of the film is the production of a play, with the cartoonish and artificial sets serving this conceit. Similarly, the characters are aware of their strangeness, with some of them not even understanding why they behave the way they do, inviting us to try to understand them. You can do great and play your role without fully understanding the world.

I can see Sophia Lillis being in more Anderson films. Based on her performances in this and D&D, she seems like a good fit for his deadpan delivery fetish.


2023 in Summary
08-15: 8.7/10 Asteroid City (2023) - laptop
07-24: 8.6/10 The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) - home cinema
07-16: 7.6/10 Guardians of the Galaxy, vol. 3 (2023) - home cinema
07-05: 9.1/10 Tenet (2020) - other home cinema
07-02: 9.6/10 Arrival (2016) - other home cinema
06-23: 5.0/10 Georgetown (2019) - home cinema
05-20: 8.6/10 The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) - laptop
05-18: 9.0/10 Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) - home cinema
05-07: 5.1/10 Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) - other home cinema
05-03: 8.4/10 The Suicide Squad (2021) - home cinema
04-30: 8.0/10 John Mulaney: Baby J (2023) - home cinema
04-21: 8.2/10 Nope (2022) - home cinema
04-20: 7.5/10 The Many Saints of Newark (2021) - home cinema
03-23: 8.1/10 The Harder They Fall (2021) - home cinema
02-19: 9.5/10 The Usual Suspects (1995) - other home cinema
01-28: 8.1/10 Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) - home cinema

[Kong Wen]

I watched my seventeenth film of the year:

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) — 9.55/10

Finally had a chance to watch Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the sequel to my favourite super-hero comic book movie of all time. It was very consistent, almost as good as the first one, but different.

The first one was jam-packed with gags, and while this one also has funny moments and good jokes, it's not as consistently comedic; it's got a slightly more melancholy tone that I guess is in keeping with the themes of growing up, losing touch with friends and loved ones, loss, etc.

The other issue (I don't really want to call it a "problem") is that this is part one of a two-parter, so it ends on a cliff-hanger. It's a good natural breaking point that feels less abrupt than Infinity War and less inconclusive than Dune, so that's fine.

I loved it though. Some of the other Spiders were great. Hobie (Spider-Punk) had the potential to be very annoying, but he turned out to be pretty great. The TVA-like mission of the Spiders seems awfully misguided and non-heroic, but that's part of the point of this film that will undoubtedly be resolved in the follow-up, so I can't dock it for what amounts to a good narrative core.


2023 in Summary
08-16: 9.55/10 Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) - studio TV
08-15: 8.7/10 Asteroid City (2023) - laptop
07-24: 8.6/10 The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) - home cinema
07-16: 7.6/10 Guardians of the Galaxy, vol. 3 (2023) - home cinema
07-05: 9.1/10 Tenet (2020) - other home cinema
07-02: 9.6/10 Arrival (2016) - other home cinema
06-23: 5.0/10 Georgetown (2019) - home cinema
05-20: 8.6/10 The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) - laptop
05-18: 9.0/10 Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) - home cinema
05-07: 5.1/10 Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) - other home cinema
05-03: 8.4/10 The Suicide Squad (2021) - home cinema
04-30: 8.0/10 John Mulaney: Baby J (2023) - home cinema
04-21: 8.2/10 Nope (2022) - home cinema
04-20: 7.5/10 The Many Saints of Newark (2021) - home cinema
03-23: 8.1/10 The Harder They Fall (2021) - home cinema
02-19: 9.5/10 The Usual Suspects (1995) - other home cinema
01-28: 8.1/10 Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) - home cinema

[Kong Wen]

I watched my eighteenth film of the year:

Enemy at the Gates (2001) — 8.1/10

Watched the classic sniper duel movie Enemy at the Gates last night. Lots of drama conveyed by guys looking at stuff. It has a few good set-piece "battles"—overall pretty good film.


2023 in Summary
08-27: 8.1/10 Enemy at the Gates (2001) - home cinema
08-16: 9.55/10 Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) - studio TV
08-15: 8.7/10 Asteroid City (2023) - laptop
07-24: 8.6/10 The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) - home cinema
07-16: 7.6/10 Guardians of the Galaxy, vol. 3 (2023) - home cinema
07-05: 9.1/10 Tenet (2020) - other home cinema
07-02: 9.6/10 Arrival (2016) - other home cinema
06-23: 5.0/10 Georgetown (2019) - home cinema
05-20: 8.6/10 The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) - laptop
05-18: 9.0/10 Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) - home cinema
05-07: 5.1/10 Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) - other home cinema
05-03: 8.4/10 The Suicide Squad (2021) - home cinema
04-30: 8.0/10 John Mulaney: Baby J (2023) - home cinema
04-21: 8.2/10 Nope (2022) - home cinema
04-20: 7.5/10 The Many Saints of Newark (2021) - home cinema
03-23: 8.1/10 The Harder They Fall (2021) - home cinema
02-19: 9.5/10 The Usual Suspects (1995) - other home cinema
01-28: 8.1/10 Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) - home cinema

[MerlinDrazziw]

The Flash (2023) - 7.5/10

Nice movie with Credence Barebone in a red suit.
The reference to the different Batmen and Flashes was a nice touch.
Story wasn't much, but entertaining enough.

[opeymopey]

Barbie 7/10

A fresh look at a recurring theme, women finding identity/purpose in a male dominated society. The movie supplied laughs and heart with a gentle but firm touch. Robbie/Gosling had great performances. The movie takes a lot of subtle jabs, internally and externally, which add flavor to the overall film but can detract at times. Am I happy I watched it? Yeah. Will I watch it again, maybe.

[Kong Wen]

I watched my nineteenth film of the year:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023) — 7.5/10

Cute little animated movie with a different/unique (some would say post-Spider-Verse) style. One thing I actually appreciated about this one is that they actually made them teenagers. So many of the previous adaptations have them being all wise and stoic, but these guys are goofy and annoying and angsty. It's good. The other thing I really liked is that they don't solve all their problems by fighting. I was worried with so many other mutants around that the movie would get bogged down in fighting Bebop & Rocksteady etc. but there's some pretty good mutantly bonding here as well.


2023 in Summary
09-17: 7.5/10 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023) - laptop
08-27: 8.1/10 Enemy at the Gates (2001) - home cinema
08-16: 9.55/10 Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) - studio TV
08-15: 8.7/10 Asteroid City (2023) - laptop
07-24: 8.6/10 The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) - home cinema
07-16: 7.6/10 Guardians of the Galaxy, vol. 3 (2023) - home cinema
07-05: 9.1/10 Tenet (2020) - other home cinema
07-02: 9.6/10 Arrival (2016) - other home cinema
06-23: 5.0/10 Georgetown (2019) - home cinema
05-20: 8.6/10 The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) - laptop
05-18: 9.0/10 Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) - home cinema
05-07: 5.1/10 Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) - other home cinema
05-03: 8.4/10 The Suicide Squad (2021) - home cinema
04-30: 8.0/10 John Mulaney: Baby J (2023) - home cinema
04-21: 8.2/10 Nope (2022) - home cinema
04-20: 7.5/10 The Many Saints of Newark (2021) - home cinema
03-23: 8.1/10 The Harder They Fall (2021) - home cinema
02-19: 9.5/10 The Usual Suspects (1995) - other home cinema
01-28: 8.1/10 Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) - home cinema