Hello! Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and a safe Black Friday! Time for another Catching Up post! We didn't have any films to watch this week for the podcast, so it's all movies I watched in my own time. I will also be taking the rest of the month off from watching all of these movies. It's a time intensive activity, and I want to enjoy the holiday season. I've also started writing my book again, and I want to focus on that so I can get it to a manuscript level. I'll be back in the first few weeks of January! Let's start with one of my highlights for the year!
The Mitchells vs The Machines (2021)
SCORE: 82/100
Directed By: Michael Rianda, Jeff Rowe
Starring: Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph
Synopsis: A quirky, dysfunctional family's road trip is upended when they find themselves in the middle of the robot apocalypse and suddenly become humanity's unlikeliest last hope.
Quick Review: The Mitchells vs the Machines is one of the better animated films this year. I had the pleasure of reviewing this film earlier in the year when it released, and my score has actually changed since then. Before I did the blog, I posted a quick story on the Podcast's Instagram where I gave it a 79. I feel that the score was too low, and so here we are with a rewatch! The film has this incredibly original style to it that is refreshing, and it adds more to the character of this movie than you'd expect. The entire cast makes the characters more lovable and relatable, and the humor is pretty darn good. There's also an incredible moment toward the end that will no doubt be celebrated for years to come. My only complaint with the film is the continued anti-tech message. I'm a big advocate for AI and smart devices, so it's always annoying when messages like this are spread around. I don't feel like it does any good for kids to walk away thinking tech is always bad, because it's not. But don't let that discourage you, The Mitchells vs the Machines is one of Netflix's best original animated films.
If you'd like to watch it, it's available on Netflix.
Spaceballs (1987)
SCORE: 72/100
Directed By: Mel Brooks
Starring: Bill Pullman, Daphne Zuniga, John Candy
Synopsis: A star-pilot for hire and his trusty sidekick must come to the rescue of a princess and save Planet Druidia from the clutches of the evil Spaceballs.
Quick Review: Mel Brook's parody of Star Wars and other Sci-Fi films is a bit of a mixed bag. While I have my nostalgia for it, and I'm a fan of the films its parodying, it gets a little confused with its jokes. There are incredibly well written meta jokes like the videotape sequence and the looks at the camera. But for every two jokes that land, I feel that there's one that doesn't. Too many "out there" moments get in the way of a consistently funny movie, and the adherence to a PG rating doesn't help the film either. If this had been allowed to go as far as Blazing Saddles or History of the World Part 1, I think it could've been more funny. However, the film is still funny enough and some decent parodying of Star Wars and other iconic films makes it enough to be recommendable.
If you'd like to watch it, it's available for rent only.
Skyfall (2012)
SCORE: 92/100
Directed By: Sam Mendes
Starring: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem
Synopsis: James Bond's loyalty to M is tested when her past comes back to haunt her. When MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.
Quick Review: Skyfall is still the best Bond movie ever, because it's an incredible film. It's perfectly shot thanks to cinematographer Roger Deakins, and goes deeper emotionally and thematically than any other Bond film to date. It's more a more mature and flawed Bond thanks to Daniel Craig, who turns in his best performance as the character. Judi Dench is also incredible as M. The character is just as much of a main character here as Bond, which adds to their already awesome dynamic. Javier Bardem is one of my favorite Bond villains to date, because he isn't out to destroy the world or anything, he's just angry with MI6. Anything else I could say is a spoiler, and I whole-heartedly recommend everyone to watch this, even if you aren't typically a Bond film fan. It IS that good.
If you'd like to watch it, it's available on Hulu and Paramount+.
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
SCORE: 77/100
Directed By: Jon Watts
Starring: Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr.
Synopsis: Peter Parker balances his life as an ordinary high school student in Queens with his superhero alter-ego Spider-Man, and finds himself on the trail of a new menace prowling the skies of New York City.
Quick Review: The MCU's first solo Spider-Man film is a great time with a great villain. Other than that it can be a little flat at times, but Tom Holland's performance is what truly sets it apart. He's allowed to shine here and becomes the best live action version of the character yet. Everyone does their best here, but the only thing that bugs me about the film is that it doesn't really feel consequential. It's another version of his origin, except it's his origin as an Avenger, not his Spider-Man origin. While it's a good way to differentiate between this version and the others, it does falter. In addition, while I like his superhero story being tied to Iron Man, it's also something that prevents the story from being able to expand on its world because it also ties all of the villains to Stark as much as it does Spider-Man. But, it's still a good MCU movie, and Tom Holland really shines.
If you'd like to watch it, it's available to rent only.
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
SCORE: 81/100
Directed By: Jon Watts
Starring: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jake Gyllenhaal
Synopsis: Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man must step up to take on new threats in a world that has changed forever.
Quick Review: While it retains the Stark connections of the first one, Far From Home is better because of its villain and its globe-trotting nature. It was definitely a good misdirect with the Elementals being the main villains, and while I saw the twist coming, I enjoyed it as it unraveled. The inclusion of Nick Fury and Maria Hill felt a little forced, but necessary to firmly place it within the MCU, and to help groom Peter to take over for Stark. This film feels more consequential for the MCU given its surprise ending (with an incredible cameo), and definitely lays the groundwork for a lot to happen to Peter and his friends and family. While it's an improvement over the first, Far From Home is still just a "great not excellent" addition to the MCU, but I feel that No Way Home this December will be the true defining moment in the character's film history.
If you'd like to watch it, it's available to rent only.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse (2018)
SCORE: 99/100 (MUST WATCH)
Directed By: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey
Starring: Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld
Synopsis: Teen Miles Morales becomes the Spider-Man of his universe, and must join with five spider-powered individuals from other dimensions to stop a threat for all realities.
Quick Review: This film isn't just a great Spider-Man film, it's an incredible piece of animation and a true rejuvenation of the character. It's not every day you get to see animation history being made. The incredible details and differences between characters on a technical animation level is astounding. IT also helps that the movie is endlessly relatable and charming, and that's due to its incredible writing and performances. Everyone is bringing their A-game here, from Miles to Gwen to Peter Porker. There are a few reasons why I still have faith in the Oscars, and the fact that this won Best Animated Picture is one of them. It truly is a masterpiece of the superhero genre, but also cements itself (to me) as one of the best Western animated films of all time.
If you'd like to watch it, it's available to rent only.
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