Avengers: Endgame
I mean, come on. This movie was an absolute bounty of emotional disaster and wonder and amazement. Once they get to Vormir, the waterworks don’t stop. This movie was incredible and nearly perfect and I don’t care what anyone else says. More detailed review to come when I finish my MCU review roundup that is woefully behind.
Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker
I went into this movie with a similar mindset to when I saw Force Awakens a few years back and couldn’t feel my hands because they were sweating so profusely. From the opening credits and the booming introduction from John Williams, I was hooked. It was beautiful, tragic, nostalgic and epic in all the best ways. Sure, it had its flaws, but I was far too hyped up throughout to truly notice or care. I will see this movie as many times in theatres as I possibly can before it leaves.
IT: Chapter Two
I saw this twice in theatres and loved it just as much both times. IT became my favorite novel of all time in the past couple of years and I was so looking forward to seeing how this duo of films would interpret, reimagine and present a really dense (and at times troubling) work of art. Needless to say, I was absolutely scared shitless in several moments and moved to tears in others. Overall, I really loved how they brought IT to life and was blown away by how well they cast the kids and the adults alike. Sure, there was a certain level of cheese factor, but having read Stephen King for the last couple decades- cheese is fine. I love cheese. Its better than child orgies and animal torture. Just sayin.
Joker
I loved this unique take on the superhero genre, in all its nihilistic glory. The story was reminiscent of some recent Joker works like ‘The Killing Joke’, but it also brought a bold new spin on it. Joaquin Phoenix was absolutely stellar in this bizarre and obtuse role that could have easily been a joke in itself. While there was nothing but pessimism and darkness enveloping the aesthetic and tone of this movie, it served the idea of anti-heroism well. It showed how the world looks from the perspective of those who the “good guys” are trying to cleanse the world of. It isn’t always black and white. The pieces of the DCU that were included to bring familiarity and fan connection were just enough to keep the film from falling victim to fan service and pandering. It felt like a completely separate and independent piece of the Gotham City story chronicles that will likely continue to be told for decades to come.
Moral of the story kids- take your meds.
The Dani Planet 