gandalfrodo Reviews

The Abyss (1989)

It's okay.

[7/10 · 25 February 2024]

Rewatched this movie after not having seen it in many many years. I had completely forgotten about the Navy Seal characters and that whole conflict.

Whenever I would think about"The Abyss", I would think about the parts that are interesting. Mainly the aliens, and the fact that they are underwater.

The Navy Seal characters act as a crutch, it feels. The film tries to lean on them to add some dramatic tension, but it ultimately feels a little unnecessary. Despite a wonderful performance from Michael Biehn.

I watched the theatrical cut, which feels like there are things missing. Some elements feel rushed. Especially the ending.

I know I've seen the Director's Cut as well, and I think I may need to revisit it to see if it fleshes out the characters and story a bit more.

Aside from that, there are still several amazing moments in "The Abyss" that make it an interesting experience. Ground breaking visual effects, and some good performances.

The revival scene in particular, is a very powerful scene. I know it's controversial, since Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio was subjected to such harsh conditions, but it still holds up as a very intense and moving scene.

Overall, still worth a watch, I think I'll have to seek out the Director's Cut now for comparison.

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

The Entity

[3/10 · 17 July 2023]

"Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)" is not an overly terrible movie. However it is barely a movie by the definition.

The dialogue-heavy script is, as the other recent M:I movies have established, an excuse to get from one action set piece to the next.

When the action set pieces arrive, they are burdened with sloppy editing and uninspired cinematography. Minus some moments here and there: the sequence when Ethan and Grace are jumping from falling train car to falling train car was fairly entertaining.

Unfortunately, although the marketing for "Dead Reckoning" encourages viewers to watch it on "The Biggest Screen Possible", the film does not warrant that. There are no sequences that take advantage of the full IMAX format. There are no 1.43 aspect ratio shots. I would recommend seeking a Dolby showing, or just a regular screen.

The lack of full-screen IMAX is surprising, considering its use in "Top Gun: Maverick". Even "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" had full-screen IMAX.

"Dead Reckoning Part One" has been marketed as one of the biggest movies of the summer. Unfortunately, it is not.

The script is awful. A good majority of the film is devoted to people sitting in a room, explaining what the plot is. There are repetitions of several things. We are told in several scenes the same information we just heard.

The film has also become a parody of itself. They're constantly trying to make jokes about how often Ethan Hunt has gone rogue, or poke fun at what IMF stands for. Nobody's taking this thing seriously anymore. Nobody's here to make a movie. This is all for Tom Cruise's stuntman demo reel. The franchise has gone into "Fast and Furious" territory of self-aware humor.

Large portions of the film play out in closeups. A shocking thing, considering how much money was spent on sets. The film feels claustrophobic, especially when viewed on an IMAX screen. I'm not sure the cinematographer knows how to compose a group shot, or a two shot, or a full shot. It feels like when the camera does pull out, it's occasionally during a fight scene. Unfortunately, the editor cuts around so much that the geography of the action is often lost.

Overall, some entertaining moments, but not the greatest.

Men (2022)

Hell yeah!

[8/10 · 24 May 2022]

This movie was friggin' awesome. If you're a fan of '80's horror like "The Thing" and "An American Werewolf in London" then boy oh boy is this film's ending for you.

Jaw-droppingly, beautifully grotesque.

There's a lot of metaphor and symbolism throughout the film, but it never bogs you down. The imagery and symbolism is fairly straightforward, and what results is more geared towards entertainment and spectacle rather than trying to hammer home a higher meaning that's beyond the audiences grasp.

This film will not be for everyone, but it was definitely for me.