rgkarim
Joined Mar 2011
Welcome to the new profile
We're still working on updating some profile features. To see the badges, ratings breakdowns, and polls for this profile, please go to the previous version.
Ratings953
rgkarim's rating
Reviews970
rgkarim's rating
LIKES:
Great Acting
Fun
Family Friendly
Charming
Still Deep
Good Graphics/Visuals
Great Sound Effects
A Pace That's Inviting
DISLIKES:
Not As Adventurous
Not As Deep
A Tad Silly
Bland
A Bit Strange
Some Cheesy Performances
The VERDICT: Paddington's third dive into cinema is just as charming as the first two and very friendly to a variety of ages and backgrounds. The little bear's third adventure dives deeper into his origins and continues to explore the emotions of a changing family and how one adapts to the changing faces of life. The film has a lot of relevance, bundled with adorable antics that serve as a good entry into the movies as the trip to Peru is filled with whimsy charm, fun antics, and some character development that feels very fitting of a children's book come to life. The bear is as well-animated as ever, with smooth motions, decent realistic fur, and that adorable anthropomorphic smile that charmed me in the first film. This animation and design apply well to most of the rest of the movie, the visuals holding that book-like whimsy but never losing too much of the realism sheen to feel out of place. It does dip a bit at times, but it is forgivable when the adventure is delightful enough. Sound effects, I think, did more for me in this film: the jungles of the South American continent coming to life in surround sound glory as they unleash the wilderness in great detail. Alongside good acting by the crew, Paddington's crew brings that family dynamic to new levels, corny but fun as they come together to solve the mystery that brought the young bear to a new world. The loveable British family just keeps being enjoyable, and I think that is much of the magic of this movie, including that heartstring-pulling finale this series always manages to find.
In regards to the things I didn't like as much, Paddington's time away from the silver screen was a little more prominent than I had hoped. Despite being an exotic adventure, I found the movie less adventurous than the first two films. A rushed journey with contrived puzzles that are overshadowed by jumbled character development attempts that feel too spread and unbalanced in regards to time and depth. Gimmicky comic elements are perfect for younger audience members and young-at-heart parents but lack the balance and integration that I enjoyed in the first ones. Even the villain is overdone, the actor falling back to tactics from his other children's movies where being overdramatic seems to be the name of the game. This chemistry feels a bit forced, the new elements a tad too strange and surreal that eventually add up, but doesn't quite have the full Paddington finesse that I know this series to have. As mentioned before, the family does not feel as integrated as they could have been, many of the characters are reduced to comedic props with just a few moments of feeling necessary to the story. Great to have the cast back, but the adventure didn't need most of them, with more of the new characters having the dominant screen time. Such character imbalance is a pet peeve of mine, and I would have liked a bit more time with the film to maximize all the stories that they wanted to bring. Especially if they could have made that overdrive punch to the emotional gut that Paddington 2 perfected.
Thus, Paddington In Peru is one of the most mixed movies I've seen in a while. There is still a lot of the little bear's magic present in the film, with plenty of that PG-rated charm to make a fun little two-hour ordeal. It's got all the bells and whistles of the marmalade-munching mammal, plenty of adorable antics to have the theater cracking up, and just enough of the family to get something to hold you over until you go back and watch the first two movies. Yet, the time gap seemed to dilute several factors thanks to the constrained time limits and a lot to do with the aging cast. The involvement of many characters seems an afterthought, and the chemistry and layout of all the lines feel not quite as thorough when I go back and watch the preceding films. In addition, the kid feeling seems a little more prominent, and those deeper emotions seem still locked up tight within a story that felt cut. Is it worth a trip to the theater? Yes, especially for a fun family outing, perhaps in a field trip or group movie with a crowd of friends, particularly ones with kids.
My scores for the film are: Adventure/Comedy/Family/Mystery: 7.5-8.0 Movie Overall: 7.0.
The VERDICT: Paddington's third dive into cinema is just as charming as the first two and very friendly to a variety of ages and backgrounds. The little bear's third adventure dives deeper into his origins and continues to explore the emotions of a changing family and how one adapts to the changing faces of life. The film has a lot of relevance, bundled with adorable antics that serve as a good entry into the movies as the trip to Peru is filled with whimsy charm, fun antics, and some character development that feels very fitting of a children's book come to life. The bear is as well-animated as ever, with smooth motions, decent realistic fur, and that adorable anthropomorphic smile that charmed me in the first film. This animation and design apply well to most of the rest of the movie, the visuals holding that book-like whimsy but never losing too much of the realism sheen to feel out of place. It does dip a bit at times, but it is forgivable when the adventure is delightful enough. Sound effects, I think, did more for me in this film: the jungles of the South American continent coming to life in surround sound glory as they unleash the wilderness in great detail. Alongside good acting by the crew, Paddington's crew brings that family dynamic to new levels, corny but fun as they come together to solve the mystery that brought the young bear to a new world. The loveable British family just keeps being enjoyable, and I think that is much of the magic of this movie, including that heartstring-pulling finale this series always manages to find.
In regards to the things I didn't like as much, Paddington's time away from the silver screen was a little more prominent than I had hoped. Despite being an exotic adventure, I found the movie less adventurous than the first two films. A rushed journey with contrived puzzles that are overshadowed by jumbled character development attempts that feel too spread and unbalanced in regards to time and depth. Gimmicky comic elements are perfect for younger audience members and young-at-heart parents but lack the balance and integration that I enjoyed in the first ones. Even the villain is overdone, the actor falling back to tactics from his other children's movies where being overdramatic seems to be the name of the game. This chemistry feels a bit forced, the new elements a tad too strange and surreal that eventually add up, but doesn't quite have the full Paddington finesse that I know this series to have. As mentioned before, the family does not feel as integrated as they could have been, many of the characters are reduced to comedic props with just a few moments of feeling necessary to the story. Great to have the cast back, but the adventure didn't need most of them, with more of the new characters having the dominant screen time. Such character imbalance is a pet peeve of mine, and I would have liked a bit more time with the film to maximize all the stories that they wanted to bring. Especially if they could have made that overdrive punch to the emotional gut that Paddington 2 perfected.
Thus, Paddington In Peru is one of the most mixed movies I've seen in a while. There is still a lot of the little bear's magic present in the film, with plenty of that PG-rated charm to make a fun little two-hour ordeal. It's got all the bells and whistles of the marmalade-munching mammal, plenty of adorable antics to have the theater cracking up, and just enough of the family to get something to hold you over until you go back and watch the first two movies. Yet, the time gap seemed to dilute several factors thanks to the constrained time limits and a lot to do with the aging cast. The involvement of many characters seems an afterthought, and the chemistry and layout of all the lines feel not quite as thorough when I go back and watch the preceding films. In addition, the kid feeling seems a little more prominent, and those deeper emotions seem still locked up tight within a story that felt cut. Is it worth a trip to the theater? Yes, especially for a fun family outing, perhaps in a field trip or group movie with a crowd of friends, particularly ones with kids.
My scores for the film are: Adventure/Comedy/Family/Mystery: 7.5-8.0 Movie Overall: 7.0.
LIKES:
Great Opening
Good Acting
Visuals For The Most Part Are Good
Lots Of Loose Threads Returned
Some Good Action Scenes At Times
End Credit Scene Set Up Promise
Political Messages In A Respectable Way...Somewhat
Summary
The movie starts with an exciting sequence that feels like Marvel is back in business with that superhero flair that I felt for years ago. A blend of comedy, suspense, and supernatural moves turns the comic book into real-life awesomeness and majesty. Some of that momentum carries over into other action scenes, tactical use of new equipment, strategy, and teamwork that at times uses the screen to sheer perfection in bringing out the sequence in that high-price way. Disney's resources have granted them excellent visual and sound effects that were very welcome for me on the screen, several moments perhaps, were 3-D worthy if you are willing to spend the extra green. Those action scenes I mentioned in particular, alongside the new costumes and makeup, are at times so good, giving a lot of life to this adaptation of the famous characters. Regarding the acting, it's a typical bar for the Marvel series at this point. Ramirez is fun, fresh, and has a nice balance of drama and comedy that handles all the scenes very well as he and Sam tackle the brave new world. Ford is fine at times, his ability to deliver a monologue of power or show that vulnerability is where he excels, while his action and anger need more time to let him excel like he did in the 80s and '90s decades. Mackie is my favorite of the bunch, the man still evolving Sam past the sidekick status and into a new Cap that has different layers to the super-solider that we had for ten years. I really like the character's logic, doubts, and self-discovery, but still keeping to the duties he signed up for back in the Winter Soldier debut.
Story-wise, the movie tries to tackle a lot of things in this stage of the game, which may be a mixed bag of tricks depending on a lot of factors. Brave New World incorporates a lot of things from the past that many might have forgotten, tying up some loose ends and utilizing them well in parts to help get us through the awkward transitions Disney is making with this cinematic universe. I was surprised how character-centric these uses were, some of them making for a strong political-thriller component that will find a lot of relevance in the audience. These messages are mostly held within the taste and have a purpose other than just some hasty inclusion that some movies do these days. The post-credits scene offers a look into what is to come, vague enough to stimulate an Internet search to get an idea of the next steps in this rewritten timeline.
DISLIKES The Action Scenes Feel Stiff/Uninspired At Times Focus On Political Messages Some Wasted Characters Giancarlo Esposito Needed A Lot More Time More Humor Could Have Helped Some Underwhelming Villains Focus Couldn't Decide Which Direction Of The Movie They Wanted Pacing Uneven Summary Despite all the new directions and combinations of stories, the movie struggles to juggle everything in the two-hour runtime. It is hard to pick where to start, but let's start with the action and how it sometimes feels boring and lacks suspense. The fights are repetitive, the stunts a little over the top, sometimes crossing into cheesy territory with some of the stiff fighting they do. I think these parts were dulled down by the rumored reshoots and rewrites, but it would have been nice to have some of the same quality in every fight possible or match that intense fight at the end as they did in the Winter Soldier. Brave New World's story does have good components to it, as mentioned above, but I also felt it could have been better in a lot of ways. For one thing, the political component, I think, got a bit in the way of the usual action plot with rewrites again feeling present to dilute the thrills. The characters in this film are way too many, and they did an okay job balancing most but never optimizing them the way they have in the past. The bad guys are okay, but there felt like there was more that could have come from them if they went the traditional pathway of their stories. These blasts from the past needed more edge, more danger, and less C. S. I. Carbon copy, with a few more close calls and strategies to make this game deadlier. Giancarlo especially had so much potential from the trailers, but the ruthless tongue is the only awesome weapon he wields before being pushed into the background for much of the film. The focus of this movie is fitting, but was it the right timing with all the stuff? It is a mix for me and kind of underwhelming in the grand scheme of things. The pace feels uneven at times, a product of the movie struggling to pick a direction and stick with it, this shuffling between various genres is not as smooth as other films and disrupts much of the momentum. So many parts feel like hasty tie-ups and convenient plot points that either weren't needed or illustrate more of the rewrites this film suffered.
The VERDICT Brave New World is an ambitious film that is trying to serve as the next major launching point to get the MCU on the next trek. It takes the older points from movies that were left in the shadows and tries to incorporate them into the new age as they plan the next events. I found it works very well at part key moments of action, insight, and drama that show the power of a good comic book with powerful visual and audio technology. In particular, the character studies are much bigger than I anticipated, there are so many good characters we got, and so many others who felt robbed (another problem with too much in one movie). This direction, though fascinating, feels uneven, with villains that feel unfinished, plots that feel too rushed and dull, and pacing that feels just as unbalanced. Captain America's fourth journey feels like the victim of a lot of rewrites and reshoots, leaving me wondering what the original story was before all these rumored edits. Should you see this movie in theaters? It's a good one for technical specks and a popcorn-munching plot but is not the strongest to recommend in comparison to the other films that might be coming. Thus, my scores are: Sci-Fi/Action/Adventure/Superhero: 6.5-7.0 Movie Overall: 6.5.
Story-wise, the movie tries to tackle a lot of things in this stage of the game, which may be a mixed bag of tricks depending on a lot of factors. Brave New World incorporates a lot of things from the past that many might have forgotten, tying up some loose ends and utilizing them well in parts to help get us through the awkward transitions Disney is making with this cinematic universe. I was surprised how character-centric these uses were, some of them making for a strong political-thriller component that will find a lot of relevance in the audience. These messages are mostly held within the taste and have a purpose other than just some hasty inclusion that some movies do these days. The post-credits scene offers a look into what is to come, vague enough to stimulate an Internet search to get an idea of the next steps in this rewritten timeline.
DISLIKES The Action Scenes Feel Stiff/Uninspired At Times Focus On Political Messages Some Wasted Characters Giancarlo Esposito Needed A Lot More Time More Humor Could Have Helped Some Underwhelming Villains Focus Couldn't Decide Which Direction Of The Movie They Wanted Pacing Uneven Summary Despite all the new directions and combinations of stories, the movie struggles to juggle everything in the two-hour runtime. It is hard to pick where to start, but let's start with the action and how it sometimes feels boring and lacks suspense. The fights are repetitive, the stunts a little over the top, sometimes crossing into cheesy territory with some of the stiff fighting they do. I think these parts were dulled down by the rumored reshoots and rewrites, but it would have been nice to have some of the same quality in every fight possible or match that intense fight at the end as they did in the Winter Soldier. Brave New World's story does have good components to it, as mentioned above, but I also felt it could have been better in a lot of ways. For one thing, the political component, I think, got a bit in the way of the usual action plot with rewrites again feeling present to dilute the thrills. The characters in this film are way too many, and they did an okay job balancing most but never optimizing them the way they have in the past. The bad guys are okay, but there felt like there was more that could have come from them if they went the traditional pathway of their stories. These blasts from the past needed more edge, more danger, and less C. S. I. Carbon copy, with a few more close calls and strategies to make this game deadlier. Giancarlo especially had so much potential from the trailers, but the ruthless tongue is the only awesome weapon he wields before being pushed into the background for much of the film. The focus of this movie is fitting, but was it the right timing with all the stuff? It is a mix for me and kind of underwhelming in the grand scheme of things. The pace feels uneven at times, a product of the movie struggling to pick a direction and stick with it, this shuffling between various genres is not as smooth as other films and disrupts much of the momentum. So many parts feel like hasty tie-ups and convenient plot points that either weren't needed or illustrate more of the rewrites this film suffered.
The VERDICT Brave New World is an ambitious film that is trying to serve as the next major launching point to get the MCU on the next trek. It takes the older points from movies that were left in the shadows and tries to incorporate them into the new age as they plan the next events. I found it works very well at part key moments of action, insight, and drama that show the power of a good comic book with powerful visual and audio technology. In particular, the character studies are much bigger than I anticipated, there are so many good characters we got, and so many others who felt robbed (another problem with too much in one movie). This direction, though fascinating, feels uneven, with villains that feel unfinished, plots that feel too rushed and dull, and pacing that feels just as unbalanced. Captain America's fourth journey feels like the victim of a lot of rewrites and reshoots, leaving me wondering what the original story was before all these rumored edits. Should you see this movie in theaters? It's a good one for technical specks and a popcorn-munching plot but is not the strongest to recommend in comparison to the other films that might be coming. Thus, my scores are: Sci-Fi/Action/Adventure/Superhero: 6.5-7.0 Movie Overall: 6.5.
LIKES:
Fun
Funny
Some Good Fights
The Acting Is Involved
Some Deeper Meanings
Fun Subplots
Summary:
The synopsis I gave will hopefully set the tone that this movie is not a serious entry into the movie collection by any means. It's goofy, and that goofiness is fun to watch and get lost in for a short amount of time to just give your mind a break. Love Hurts is a comedy before anything else, as it combines a lot of elements that are hilarious to enjoy. Pokes at Martial Arts movies, more jabs at the Valentine empire, and the folly of modern loves. I enjoyed the overdramatic delivery of one character, making every piece of advice comical, while another's somber and poetic tones are strange and time perfectly to be funny rather than disturbing. There are plenty of insults, slapstick humor, and environmental mishaps that feel like a silly version of John Wick, and it worked well on many parts for me in that pure spectacle Eusebio directed it toward achieving. Speaking of fights, the action scenes sometimes nail the choreography to be exciting, impressive, and unique with the kung fu of Bruce Lee meeting the humor of Jackie Chan. Love Hurts made me... well... hurt when you see some of the blows that Quan throws in this movie at the extras. It's violent, it's fast(ish), and feels a bit like a video game with the props and planning that this movie adopted. It leads to a fast and fun pace that keeps your brain numb, and a movie like this is enjoyable when you go in with such a mindset.
There are a few deeper elements to the film, the main plot of Marvin's tale holding elements much more in tune with character growth and reflections on life. It's spiritual and almost meditative, a relevant character who is looking for happiness and finding it means that many characters don't quite match up with in other films. Other characters surprisingly have a bit more bite to them as well, not just secondary characters, but tertiary ones whose subplots are cute, entertaining, and offer a little anchor away from the violence that is the main plot. The little dance they do is all in line with the spirit of fun, and the actors all manage to be very fun and immersed in the movie, though a few seem less committed to the characters and don't bring their A-game as they do in other works. Still, Love Hurts surprised me with the expansion into other tributaries to help provide some balance.
DISLIKES Too Violent/Aggressive Withy Language Plot is Cliché/Predictable Subplots are underdeveloped/rushed Fighting comes off stiff at times The Acting Is Inconsistent Too Stupid At Times Too Little Time To Juggle Everything Summary: The movie is extreme in a lot of ways, though, and the result is a movie being chopped up and a little lacking in many elements to make some of the points fall for me. The acting is, for the most part, appropriate, most of the cast having fun with their parts and just letting their dramatic personalities unfold in manners very appropriate for the film. It's just not consistent, and some of the actors feel a tad dry and uncommitted to the role, only managing to give me convincing performances in the film. The plot is cliché and predictable, any attempts at twists washed away by the excessive comedy sweeping away the serious plot twists and character developments. The subplots suffer in their length and feel lacking or hastily tied up with a single-shot montage that feels shallow and kind of benign. As for the dialog, well, the movie gets aggressive with the foul language, losing the spice factor for that "realistic" angle that so many people seem okay to have. As. If this weren't enough, the movie also starts to run into problems with the action elements for a viewer like me. The film pays homage to the great fights well, but many times, it feels stiff, uncoordinated, and repetitive in the embellishments they took with this film. I don't know how legit the fights are, but Love Hurts seems a bit blocky and forced battles (like the Acolyte) and gets paired with John Wick damage syndrome that loses an edge when you see how much punishment our "hero" can take. All of this comes out very stupid and silly at times, leaving me bored and wishing to steer away from the comedy elements to meet closer to the middle or add some more unique and coordinated elements to make up for the cliché. All-in-all, most of these things could have been improved secondary to having more time, the eighty-two minute run time not giving much wiggle room to keep all these tales and characters in an appropriate balance, in my opinion. About twenty more minutes could have done wonders for this film, or perhaps cleaned up the cast a tad more to not cram so many thin strings into this complex web.
The VERDICT Love Hurts is another fine edition of the Valentine film parody that is very entertaining to watch. It's simply kung fu in an odd love story, and that ridiculous summary extends into the film's comedic focus with action elements to support the fast-paced film. You'll find plenty of styles to laugh at, alongside some awesome fights that feel closer to real-life anime than the actual real-life anime films we have. The pace is just purely fun, but other plots might stoke the fires of hope and well-being if you pay attention to them. However, this odd combination is not going to win much in the general audience, depending on your tolerance for violence, excessive language, and the amount of stupid humor and aggressive comedy you'll get in the short run time. Love Hurts has a lot of potential, but it's squandered by how short the film is and how many characters/sub-plots they tried to weave together in that time frame. Is it the worst thing to hit theaters? No, but the movie still needs a little more polish, planning, and precision to be worth the full recommendation to see in the theater. It's definitely going to be action lovers and comedy junkies who can't get enough as the niche audience, while the majority will probably get the most at watching at home. My scores for Love Hurts are: Action/Comedy: 6.5-7.0 Movie Overall: 6.0-6.5.
There are a few deeper elements to the film, the main plot of Marvin's tale holding elements much more in tune with character growth and reflections on life. It's spiritual and almost meditative, a relevant character who is looking for happiness and finding it means that many characters don't quite match up with in other films. Other characters surprisingly have a bit more bite to them as well, not just secondary characters, but tertiary ones whose subplots are cute, entertaining, and offer a little anchor away from the violence that is the main plot. The little dance they do is all in line with the spirit of fun, and the actors all manage to be very fun and immersed in the movie, though a few seem less committed to the characters and don't bring their A-game as they do in other works. Still, Love Hurts surprised me with the expansion into other tributaries to help provide some balance.
DISLIKES Too Violent/Aggressive Withy Language Plot is Cliché/Predictable Subplots are underdeveloped/rushed Fighting comes off stiff at times The Acting Is Inconsistent Too Stupid At Times Too Little Time To Juggle Everything Summary: The movie is extreme in a lot of ways, though, and the result is a movie being chopped up and a little lacking in many elements to make some of the points fall for me. The acting is, for the most part, appropriate, most of the cast having fun with their parts and just letting their dramatic personalities unfold in manners very appropriate for the film. It's just not consistent, and some of the actors feel a tad dry and uncommitted to the role, only managing to give me convincing performances in the film. The plot is cliché and predictable, any attempts at twists washed away by the excessive comedy sweeping away the serious plot twists and character developments. The subplots suffer in their length and feel lacking or hastily tied up with a single-shot montage that feels shallow and kind of benign. As for the dialog, well, the movie gets aggressive with the foul language, losing the spice factor for that "realistic" angle that so many people seem okay to have. As. If this weren't enough, the movie also starts to run into problems with the action elements for a viewer like me. The film pays homage to the great fights well, but many times, it feels stiff, uncoordinated, and repetitive in the embellishments they took with this film. I don't know how legit the fights are, but Love Hurts seems a bit blocky and forced battles (like the Acolyte) and gets paired with John Wick damage syndrome that loses an edge when you see how much punishment our "hero" can take. All of this comes out very stupid and silly at times, leaving me bored and wishing to steer away from the comedy elements to meet closer to the middle or add some more unique and coordinated elements to make up for the cliché. All-in-all, most of these things could have been improved secondary to having more time, the eighty-two minute run time not giving much wiggle room to keep all these tales and characters in an appropriate balance, in my opinion. About twenty more minutes could have done wonders for this film, or perhaps cleaned up the cast a tad more to not cram so many thin strings into this complex web.
The VERDICT Love Hurts is another fine edition of the Valentine film parody that is very entertaining to watch. It's simply kung fu in an odd love story, and that ridiculous summary extends into the film's comedic focus with action elements to support the fast-paced film. You'll find plenty of styles to laugh at, alongside some awesome fights that feel closer to real-life anime than the actual real-life anime films we have. The pace is just purely fun, but other plots might stoke the fires of hope and well-being if you pay attention to them. However, this odd combination is not going to win much in the general audience, depending on your tolerance for violence, excessive language, and the amount of stupid humor and aggressive comedy you'll get in the short run time. Love Hurts has a lot of potential, but it's squandered by how short the film is and how many characters/sub-plots they tried to weave together in that time frame. Is it the worst thing to hit theaters? No, but the movie still needs a little more polish, planning, and precision to be worth the full recommendation to see in the theater. It's definitely going to be action lovers and comedy junkies who can't get enough as the niche audience, while the majority will probably get the most at watching at home. My scores for Love Hurts are: Action/Comedy: 6.5-7.0 Movie Overall: 6.0-6.5.