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Reviews
Billy Liar (1963)
An underrated gem! An early John Schlesinger film
A hilarious but heartbreaking story of a young man who constantly daydreams about a fantasy land to escape his mundane life. He lies his way through certain situations which creates a load of problems that he has to get through each day. These include him being engaged to two women who are both clueless to the fact that they are sharing the same ring. However, at the same time he is in love with a third. This is a really well written film that i highly recommend. It has some hilariously funny moments but some emotional ones too, with an ending that's actually quite tragic. I don't mean in a Shakespeare sense or anything but in a certain way that makes you feel for the character. The performances are all great with Tom Courtenay playing Billy perfectly and Julie Christie appearing in one of her breakthrough roles. The director of the film, John Schlesinger has actually gone on to win oscars in America with hits such as Midnight Cowboy and Marathon Man.
Check this out if you can but it might be quite hard to find.
The Dark Knight (2008)
The Greatest Superhero movie ever made!!
No Marvel film will ever be able to top this no matter how good they are. In fact, no superhero movie will ever be able to top this. This is the greatest comic book and superhero movie ever made and my fourth favorite film of all time. In fact, you can actually see it on my profile in my favorites list.
Firstly, Heath Ledger's Joker performance. This is the best villain performance of all time. He raises the bar for other Joker's so high that it is impossible to reach. And you have to consider at the time Heath Ledger would have been the last person people expected to play The Joker. Before this, he had only really been in 10 Things I Hate About You, A Knights Tale, The Patriot and Brokeback Mountain. Jack Nicholson had already owned the role in 1989 and no one believed anyone could ever be able to outdo him. In fact, no one believed that he could even outdo him. And now, i don't know anyone who would ever put Nicholson or Hamill over him. But the saddest part is that Ledger died before this film even came out. Yet, that doesn't even overshadow his performance. Whenever you see Heath Ledger as the Joker you don't immediately think of his death, you think of the outstanding performance. The opening scene with all the men in masks being taken out one by one until the Joker is last is a legendary scene. When he slams the persons head down onto the pencil, you laugh but at the same time get chills. He can be funny while at the same time creepy. Then, the 'Why so Serious?' scene. Him holding the knife to the guy's mouth and telling the story of how he got his scars. The entire scene proves why he is the best joker and is definitely one of the highlights of the film. Some parts of the film you actually agree with him on as well. Especially, the part where he mentions that people with higher power seem more valuable to protect than soldiers. That's worryingly true.
Now because Ledger is so good, it actually overshadows some of the other performances. While they aren't as good as his, i still think they make the film what it is. Gary Oldman is yet again brilliant as Gordon but my second favorite performance in the film is Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent. This one is definitely overlooked. The idea of Harvey Dent being the white knight who falls to darkness is played off brilliantly by Eckhart and i loved his take on Two-Face as well. He manages to play two completely different roles in the same film and do it to the best of his ability. You could actually see where he is coming from and the scene where he holds Gordon's son at gunpoint was so dark but yet so powerful and his performance makes the scene as a whole. He also says my favorite film quote of all time...
"You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."
A line that means so much in the film and is repeated at the end, proving it's purpose. In fact, the scene at the end where Batman says that he will take the blame for Harvey's crimes. Making the ultimate sacrifice for Gotham. The city that Batman loves and will never abandon. When Gordon is taking apart the Bat symbol, you can see the pain in his face. Taking part the only thing he trusts so much in Gotham city. It proves why Batman is actually a superhero after all. He is willing to be seen as the bad guy just to stop the people from fearing each other. It kinda makes you think doesn't it, would Superman do that? I liked how Gordon told the public that Dent was 'not the hero they deserved but the hero they needed' while deep down he knew Batman was 'the hero they deserved, but not the hero they needed.'
Christian Bale is great as Batman yet again but i have to admit his voice is kinda weird. If he didn't have such a strange voice he probably would have been my favorite Batman. Gotta give it to Keaton tho. Maggie Gyllenhaal is actually really good in her role. In fact, she was better than Katie Holmes. No disrespect to Katie Holmes but Maggie definitely seemed more professional and kinda suited her character in this one. And when she died i actually felt some emotion which i probably wouldn't have if it was Holmes instead. It's kinda sad if you think about it that Bruce didn't really have much time to mourn. He lost the only thing he still really loves in his life and yet he had to move on quickly and protect the city from the man who killed her. While Harvey Dent, a man who had just been dating her for a few months, became evil because of it. And the fact that his face was split in two. Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman are yet again really good and i liked to see Cillian Murphy return for a scene.
So, before i end this review here are a few of my favorite things that i missed out on before.
1. The Joker walking on while there were many explosions in the background. The ultimate villain moment!
2. The scene on the boat. The tension you felt when watching both of them decide. The prisoner who made you believe he was going to blow the ship up but instead threw it out of the window is a great moment that is normally overlooked. The fact that the guard had let him do it and the prisoner had more human decency than him was a great reflection of the corruption in Gotham city.
3. The stunning cinematography, amazing soundtrack combined with great action scenes proves why it is considered as one of the all time greats.
4. The poster is actually my favorite poster of all time. Not the one that it shows on Letterboxd but the one with the burning bat logo in the Wayne industries building has a great color tone and almost gives away what happens in the subtlest way.
5. The foreshadowing at the start with Harvey flipping a coin and leaving it up to chance.
Anyway, this film is an outstanding achievement by Christopher Nolan and will always be known as the perfect Batman movie. Along with the greatest superhero movie of all time.
1/4 of my favorites completed
R.I.P Heath Ledger
Toy Story 2 (1999)
The Perfect Sequel!!!
Yet again this film is amazing. While i may prefer the Toy Story one, i still absolutely love this film with all my heart and it yet again expands upon the world created and introduces new characters. Jessie being the fun cowgirl with a sad past after she was left behind by her owner Emily. This was a great addition to the cast with Jessie now being just as recognizable as Woody and Buzz. For me, this film is the most fun out of the trilogy.
One thing i did enjoy about this film was yet again the creativity. Especially, revolving around Buzz and co trying to rescue Woody from Al's Toy Barn. The creativity in this film might even be better than in the first as they could explore this world even more without it ruining the film too much. The main plot was with Woody, Jessie and Stinky Pete so the other scenes could just be whatever they wanted it to be. That's why they work so well. They use so much creativity around everyday objects to explain how the toys would be able to reach Woody. The traffic cones, elevator and air vents.
Some of the best scenes include the traffic cone sequence. The tense scene where the toys have to get across the road underneath traffic cones. When Mr Potato head gets his foot stuck on the gum and has to come back for it before he is crushed to death. Certain tropes from the original are repeated in a different way and actually work. We get
to see another Buzz who doesn't believe that he is a toy. This is revealed in the comedic line from real Buzz "Did i really used to sound like that?". However, the scene on the elevator when Buzz believes he is flying but really just standing at the top of the elevator is hilarious. Then there's The Empire Strikes Back style scene with Zurg telling Buzz that he is his father. That is my favorite scene in the entire film. Probably because TESB is my favorite film of all time. But i also liked Rex finally defeating Zurg by knocking him off the elevator.
The most emotional scene in the entire film by far is Jessie's backstory. The song playing in the background combined with the emotional imagery of Jessie being forgotten and neglected before finally being put in a box and sold. This is also where Woody learns that Andy isn't going to be there forever and that's why he is prepared to go to Tokyo with Jessie and Stinky Pete. It seems Pete is destined to be part of a collection and has almost brainwashed Jessie into wanting to do the same thing. It was also great to learn about Woody's backstory and where the character came from. The popular 1950's TV show that he had that was cancelled after the idea of spacemen and astronauts took over in children's entertainment. The scenes with Woody looking through his merchandise and him, Jessie and Bullseye dancing around on the record were great. Another creative scene in the film is the cheese puff minefield. Woody creeping up on Al, trying to get his arm back but his facial expressions when he burps are amazing.
The airport scenes are also spectacular and gives the film a great finale. Woody finding Jessie and getting her to come with him was such a heartfelt moment and they finally get to find out what would have happened in the next episode of Woody's roundup. It was great to see Woody finally accept the fact that Andy may not be around forever so he has to do his duty and serve him well in the limited time they had left. I mean, when a film makes you feel for inanimate objects, you know it's great storytelling.
So, Toy Story 2 is an amazing sequel that expands upon the world the first film had started and yet again uses it's creativity to tell a great story.
"But i don't wanna move my head!!!!!!"
Batman Begins (2005)
The Best cinematic Batman origin story!
So, i have to admit. I first watched this film when i had literally just turned ten years old and didn't like it. I didn't appreciate it's value, not only for Nolan but for the character of Batman himself. Now, i did watch The Dark Knight about a week later and loved it. That film is my fourth favorite film of all time. I also really liked The Dark Knight Rises but my reviews for those two films will be coming soon. However, after re-watching it nearly four years later, i now love the film. I now appreciate it's importance for Batman and DC in general. I mean, after Burton introduced everyone to the actual Batman in 1989, the future of superhero films looked bright. Especially after what happened to the Superman franchise. An outstanding first movie which revolutionized superhero movies by showing people a serious film and not a 1960's Batman one. The sequel was still a great film and followup to it's predecessor. The third film however was so boring and forgettable with one good scene. And then the fourth. Superman 4 is my least favorite film of all time. So, Batman in 1989 gave people hope. Then the sequel was still a really good film with an amazing Catwoman. Then Burton and Michael Keaton (my favorite Batman) left and it took a turn for the worst. Schumacher joined and Val Kilmer played Batman in the third film. This is just like Superman 3. It's not a terrible film but it completely ruins what Burton had started. Then comes Batman and Robin. Widely considered as one of the worst films ever made. Everyone loses all faith in DC movies, Bob Kane (the creator of Batman) dies and Marvel jump in. Now, while DC were succeeding, Marvel nearly went bankrupt and failed to make it onto the big screen with films like Howard the Duck, Captain America and Fantastic Four all bombing. Once Batman and Robin had bombed, they released Blade a year later. This became a massive hit and two years later they released X-Men. This began the franchise and was also a big hit. Then two years after that, they released Spiderman. A character everybody knew and loved was finally on the big screen. This was a major hit. Marvel were doing so well and DC needed to do something. So they used Christopher Nolan to direct, a guy who had only made mystery thrillers up until that point with Memento and Insomnia, and Christian Bale to play Batman, a guy who was known for playing a serial killer. They got three big actors who you never would have thought would ever be in a superhero movie. Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman and Michael Caine. Oh yeah, and Liam Neeson. However, the film worked completely.
It's stunning cinematography, amazing soundtrack and great action scenes is just part of the reason why it works. Now although Michael Keaton is my favorite Batman, Christian Bale is my favorite Bruce Wayne. His performance is spectacular and is actually making me question whether Michael Keaton is my favorite Batman. His voice may be a bit too deep and could be quite laughable but he still embodies the character of Batman. Michael Caine plays a great Alfred while Morgan Freeman does well as Lucius Fox. Gary Oldman is amazing as Comissioner Gordon and no one will ever be able to outdo him. To me, he is James Gordon. Liam Neeson does an amazing performance and the scenes with him and Batman are the best.
The scenes where he teaches Bruce to be a ninja. The fight on the ice, the scene where he finally manages to become a ninja by outsmarting Neeson. Ra's al Ghul as well. Another great villain in the film. The scene where Bruce burns the place down and manages to stop him from falling off the mountain. Now when my mum watched that she said 'as if' and yes it is quite unrealistic but it still looks cool. However, my favorite scene is the fight on the train. When Bruce puts his no kill rule to use by saying "I won't kill you, but i don't have to save you.' That scene is guaranteed to give you goosebumps every time.
Now, one of the strongest and most impressive parts of the films is the villains. They have Henri, Ra's al Ghul, Scarecrow and Carmine in the same film. Now this is where films like Spider-Man 3 and The Amazing Spider-man 2 failed. They try to have too many villains, each with different reasons for hating Spider-Man in the same film and they don't work. And their not even origin stories. However, Batman Begins uses a load of villains and they actually work. You feel that they are given enough screen time and none of them feel rushed. Now, I know Ra's al Ghul didn't really do or say much but for me, that's what makes him great. There is an essence of mystery and intrigue around him and i actually would've been down for a spin-off Ra's al Ghul origin story.
However, my favorite scenes in the entire film are the ones showing Bruce on the day his parents were killed. The scene where young Bruce falls into the hole and his dad is treated like an angel. The buildup to that shooting was perfect and the actor who played young Bruce is not given the credit he deserves. In fact, that might be my favorite superhero origin scene in movie history.
So yeah, Batman Begins is a great origin story with a strong cast, amazing cinematography and the predecessor to one of the greatest movies of all time. 9/10!
The Big Bang Theory (2007)
One of the greatest sitcoms of all time!
October 2017, i'm strolling through Netflix looking for a TV show to watch. The one that catches my eye is The Big Bang Theory. Now i had seen an episode of it before and didn't think it looked bad. It was a Star Wars one, so that might also be one of the reasons why. Anyway, so i watched the first episode and really enjoyed it. I kept watching and found myself watching it pretty regularly. Then my mum started to watch it with me. Then my dad watched it and finally my sister. We finished watching the first ten seasons within the space of six months and we loved it. Now, while it may have decreased in quality a bit over the seasons, it never became bad. I could still tune in to a later episode and find myself enjoying it.
The large amount of seasons are actually worthwhile because of the character development. And this show has a lot of great character development. The best example of this is Howard. Ever since he introduced himself to Penny in the first episode, you knew this guy wasn't going to be normal. In the first two seasons, the guy lives with his mum and cares more about girls than his job. However, Bernadette changes him so much that by sixth series you've forgotten what he was like. This is why i love the scene in series 7 where he sings a song to Bernadette. It's a major reflection of the change the character had gone through. Now i don't even like Bernadette. She is by the far the worst character in the show and became too annoying near the end. In fact, she is probably the reason why i only gave it a 9. All the other characters are great in their own unique ways. However, she still does have some good lines like: "I like the Wii" and the one at Leonard and Penny's wedding where she says "I now pronounce you husband and wife. And weird other husband who came with the apartment." Howard's mother was also a great character despite us never actually seeing her. Her relentless shouting was always a treat to hear and it's such a shame that Carol died. However, the way they dealt with her death by killing her off in the show was great and lead to one of my favorite moments in the later series. All of the characters except Howard and Bernadette sat around talking about her. In the end, they all raise a glass to her and Leonard says "A loving mother... to all of us"
Now, my favorite episode in the entire show is Howard and Bernadette's wedding. This is because of the scene where Howard goes up to space and everyone is watching them. Raj and Bernadette hold hands over their love of Howard, Leonard and Penny hold hands and finally Sheldon's line. Sheldon is the most ignorant and arrogant person on earth and him and Sheldon rarely ever get along. Sheldon makes fun of Howard for being an engineer and Howard makes fun of Sheldon a lot. So, this is why this line hits so hard. As Howard is going up into space, Sheldon says "Boldly go Howard Wolowitz." Quite an underrated moment. However, Howard's best relationship in the entire film has to be with Raj. My third favorite character. Now, earlier on the focus on Howard and Raj's relationship is great but there isn't much focus on the character of Raj himself. This is partly because of the fact that he couldn't even talk to women unless he was drunk for half of the show. However, as the seasons progressed and less focus was put on Howard, Raj was given much more screen-time. However, as much as i love his character and his relationship with Howard, i have to admit the writers had no idea what to do with him. They had so much time to make him settle down with a woman but they either couldn't hire a long term actress or just couldn't decide who he should end up with. This is why i actually think they should have made him come out of the closet. I mean there had been so many jokes about Howard and Raj being a gay couple so i couldn't understand why they didn't do it. It'd be interesting to see how the others react and especially his parents. They would either accept or disapprove of it. This would lead to an interesting storyline. It would fit well with his personality traits (not homophobic just saying) and actually make sense of some of the dodgy lines he said. However, i'm glad at the end that he didn't end up with Anu and the scene between Raj and Howard was great. It was their last and ultimate romantic moment. The choice to leave Raj single at the end was brave and i respect it. Hopefully, they could make a spinoff of him but i'm just not entirely sure whether that would work after what happened with 'Joey.' Also, another great character is Stuart. The owner of the comic book store who starts off as a normal guy but ends up living with Howard and Bernadette, becoming close with Howard's mum and becomes a good friend of Raj. Also, can i just say how much i love Raj and Penny's relationship. I think it's pretty overlooked.
Anyway, back to the whole reason Big Bang Theory is as good as it is. Sheldon Cooper. He won in a poll for the funniest TV character of all time. He is amazing. He is the show. The show wouldn't be half as good as it is without him. His ignorance, arrogance, genius mind but sometimes childish behaviour makes him what he is. He ends every joke with the word 'Bazinga (which is used in an amazing ball pit scene) and gets his mum and Penny to sing 'Soft Kitty' to him when he is sick. He has his own spot on a couch to sit on which no one else can sit on either. The thermostat has to be on a certain temperature all the time.His disregard for others around him. His strong opinions on science especially with 'geology' don't even make him unlikable at all. However, his biggest strengths are the relationships with the people around him. Him and his best friend and roommate Leonard. All the way through, Leonard talks about how much he hates having to live with him and Sheldon constantly disregards him and his scientific work. However, you know they still love each other. Especially when Leonard cries at his wedding. His other great relationship is with him and Amy. The romantic relationship. Sheldon's a person who never would have thought about getting a girlfriend. I mean when my mum heard about it, she had no idea how they would pull it off. And yet they did it so well. Amy is my second favorite character in the entire show. my favorite Sheldon and Amy scene is quite an underrated one. It's when Sheldon is trying to choose between a PS4 and Xbox One. He's explaining it to Amy but she obviously doesn't care. She asks Sheldon for the butter but he believes she is not taking it seriously enough. So Amy acts like she cares which leads to a hilarious scene where Sheldon tells her about the pros and cons of XBOX and PS4. When Amy acts like she really cares about it Sheldon gets more and more enthusiastic scene. This builds up to Sheldon asking her what to do and her screaming 'PLEASE PASS THE BUTTER!!!' Another amazing Sheldon and Amy bit is the tiara scene. However, i have to admit it's much better the first time watching. The unpredictability of it and the big reveal make it so great and is the best Amy moment in the show. However, this still isn't my favorite relationship. My favorite is Sheldon and Penny. The relationship shouldn't really work at first. Penny is a dumb blonde from Nebraska and Sheldon is an ignorant genius. But yet it does. They get along so well and have such a great relationship. Some of the scenes they share together like on Sheldon's birthday and when she breaks her shoulder. However, their best scene and the greatest scene in the entire show is the Leonard Nimoy scene. Jim Parsons does some of the greatest comedic acting ever. Let's just quote 'I now possess the DNA of Leonard Nimoy!!!'
So we've talked about the entire show and all the main characters, let's talk about the finale. They really went out with a bang! From Leonard slapping Sheldon to his touching speech at the end it was perfect and satisfactory. The best sitcom ending of all time. Much better than Friends (don't @ me.) So yeah, i've talked about it too much now. Thank you Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady for this amazing show. Oh and also thanks for fixing that damn elevator. And one more time. "The whole universe was in a......
Bazinga!
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
One of the best high school movies of the 90s
This was the Kickstarter to three big actors careers. Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Some of the comedy is well utilised and the jokes can come in so bizarrely that you can't help but laugh. I mean, I love how random this film is. Parts of the film feel so different and bizarre and it actually works. And also the multiple amount of main characters. I mean, at first u think it's gonna be Joseph Gordon Levitt because he is the new kid at school, but then it changes to Bianca and Cat and it starts to become a story about two sisters but then it sort of changes to a love story about Heath Ledger and Cat. However, it doesn't feel bad either. But if I were to say anything negative about it then I would say that Cameron's backstory was kinda glanced over and he isn't really given much character development. Also, there's really strange scene. This is where they are trying to ask a bunch of strangers whether they would date Cat. Now they could have just had them all laughing which they do, but then proceed to ask them one by one. It just feels a bit too strange and the editing isn't great either. Anyway, my favourite character is probably the English teacher. He's just the embodiment of what you wanted, but also didn't want your teachers to be like. But obviously the best scene in the entire film is the 'Can't take my eyes off you" performance done by Heath Ledger. The acting is gray with Julia Stiles giving a strong performance and Heath Ledger killing it in his role. R.I.P Heath Ledger! Another great scene is the one where Cameron's friend nearly cycles all the way down to the sports stadium. It was so bizarre and out of left field but great at the same time. Anyway, while this film isn't perfect it's different to your average high school romcom and makes you feel just whelmed. Definitely worth a watch.
Toy Story (1995)
By far my favorite Pixar movie and my second favorite Disney and animated film in general. Joint with 2 and 3
No wait, I literally cannot rank all three Toy Story movies because i love them all equally. But if i had to choose i would probably say 1,3 and then 2. I mean what's not to love about Toy Story. A sharp-witted, cleverly written story about toys coming to life. I mean, do you notice why there hasn't been another big or successful film following the same idea of toys coming to life. Because, this is the perfect one. Nothing will ever be able to top it. They've set the bar way too high. Such a great premise which is played off brilliantly. Tom Hanks is my favorite ever animated voice actor. The energy he radiates through his words prove why he is my favorite actor of all time. His best quote OBVIOUSLY being "YOU ARE A TOYYYYY!!!!!" Tim Allen also does an excellent job. Especially, with the 'Mrs Nesbitt!!' scene and bits from earlier on when he believes he is a Space Ranger. Other actors like John Ratzenberger and Don Rickles do well and Wallace Shawn does a great job with voicing the lovable dinosaur Rex. However, this is by far my favorite Pixar film, but not my favorite Disney or animated film in general. I would have to give that to 'The Lion King.' At the time, this film would have been so technically impressive. I mean this was mid 90's and the affects still look great today. With such a great premise for a film, it plays it to it's advantages and making everyday boring objects seem like an obstacle for the toys. Probably the best example of this is 'The Claaaw.' Yes, the arcade machine that is often criticized for scamming people by making them pay money for a slim chance of winning a soft toy is used as a plot device. But does that stop me from getting that Spider-man or Ant Man plushie. Hell no! The world they create through the film is so creative and well done that it's hard not to call the film a masterpiece. So let's talk about the plot. Woody is a cowboy toy who is the leader of all the other toys in Andy's room. The toys job is to be played with and keep Andy happy. Oh and also not to be seen alive. Anyway, on Andy's birthday a new toy shows up. A popular space ranger toy named Buzz Lightyear. However, Buzz actually believes he is a space ranger and not a toy. He proves it by 'flying' when instead he is just using a hot wheels track and a lampshade to swing around. This leads top one of the greatest film quotes of all time "That wasn't flying that was falling with style." However, both the toys and Andy seem to admire Buzz leaving Woody jealous. Which refers to the astronaut takeover in the 1960's when kids stopped idolizing cowboys and began idolizing astronauts and 'space rangers.' Woody creates a plan to get rid of Buzz by pushing him out of the window. It works but leads to him and Buzz getting stranded at a gas station. They manage to follow Andy to a Pizza and arcade building (basically Chuck E Cheese) where they are captured by evil next door neighbor Sid who blows toys up for fun. Here, Buzz learns through a TV advert and a fall down the stairs that he is a toy after all in quite a powerful and emotional scene. Buzz goes insane while Woody tries to escape with him. Woody realizes that Sid i going to blow him and Buzz up on the same day that Andy is supposed to move house. So Woody hitches a plan using some of Sid's poor toys who fell victim to Sid's evil experiments. Woody uses his string voice to warn Sid about the toys before coming to life to say the words "So play nice!" in one of the greatest movie scenes of all time. Buzz finally comes to his senses and him and Woody manage to get to the moving truck in time. So, anyway Toy Story is an animated masterpiece which will always be remembered, not only for it's stunning visuals but it's great story and characters.
Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019)
A fun, lighthearted film with a couple of suprising plot twists
So, I wasn't going into the film expecting much. I have never seen an episode of Pokemon and the game i've played of it is Pokemon Go. However, I obviously knew who Pikachu was and could recognise some from PG. So anyway I enjoyed this film. It is no where near perfect and not one i'd immediately buy when it comes out on DVD and Blu Ray but it was entertaining. It could appeal to kids, fans of the Pokemon franchise and people just looking for a good time. The Pokemon were definitely the best part of the film and there was not a problem with their look. In fact, they looked just like their actual characters unlike other films coming out this year. (cough cough Sonic cough cough Genie) The acting was fine and the visuals weren't bad. The story and message of the film was great and some parts of it even surprised me. However, there were a few flaws. First of all, the human female character came across as annoying and her character was pretty much unnecessary. Also, the first plot twist wasn't bad. I liked the idea of Mewtu (forgive me if i spelt it wrong) being controlled and his real life self being innocent but the person controlling him should have been the son and not the dad. It would have made more sense if it was the other way around and the twist was that the dad was the innocent one. So let's talk about the other twist. The main plot twist. Although it was brave, I found it quite confusing. If Pikachu has been the dad all along, how come the Pikachu acted completely differently to the dad that was shown at the end. Maybe that's cause we didn't get to see that much of him, but he just didn't seem to radiate the same energy as Pikachu did. Also Tim's backstory was actually really good but it felt overlooked and should have been looked at more. You only really got a couple of flashbacks and that was it. However, my biggest problem with the film was probably it's narrative. There was big structural problem. Obviously, there was gonna be a felling bad and 'we can't do this' scene which is going to lead them to a new big revelation in the investigation. This came too early on for me and kinda tricked me into thinking the film was nearly over. Also, there was a cinema sin. Tim manages to get down from a huge skyscraper in the space of a minute. So, although it had a lot of problems, Pokemon Detective Pikachu was a fun, light-hearted film you could get a smile out of and your kids could enjoy.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
R.I.P Notre Dame
I'm 13 now but when I was younger I used to love watching Disney films. However, this was one I always missed out on. But after the tragic events of yesterday with the fire that burned the spire and the roof of the Notre Dame Cathedral, I decided to watch this, and I have to say I really enjoyed it. It has a great message, probably one of the best female Disney characters of all time and an extremely menacing villain. Esmeralda feels different to other 'Princesses' as they all have everything but want something else. Here, Esmeralda tries to help other outcasts. However, Disney films are known for being dark but this is definitely one of the darkest. The villain tried to drown Quasimodo (the hunchback) when he was a baby and tries to burn everyone in Paris. Also, Quasimodo's mother died after falling over and hitting her head on the steps of Notre Dame. The music was great and also felt a little similar to Les Mis.
For flaws, I would say the ending feels a bit rushed and the part when Frollo tells Quasimodo about his mother's real fate (which should have been an important character moment for Quasimodo was definetly overlooked.
Overall, I really enjoyed this and it yet again proves why Disney are the king of Animation!