billygoat1071

Can't remember the last time I cried in a movie theater, but man A Monster Calls perfectly sums up my biggest anxieties of growing up: the fear of loss, fear of change, that moment when you feel like you are never entitled to express your frustration that you become violent. The existence of this movie is more than enough for me. It's not quite subtle, though, but I didn't mind. Either way, I needed this. So it's like... Inside Out... and ParaNorman... and Bridge to Terabithia... except it's better... way better... Did I mention that it's also incredibly stunning? The acting is great: Lewis MacDougall is one of the most impressive kid actors I've seen this year, he amazingly carries this film that it would be a shame if he doesn't get nominated along with probably Felicity Jones.

Overall, it's powerful. It also gets a little too devastating. Even with all the pretty colors, it just straight-up acknowledges the pain and complexities of life and humanity. Reality stinks, but life's a journey. And dealing with it has always been a part of it.

(Saw this movie last month, but again, better late than never.)

I know this review is too late. I saw this movie back in mid-October, but better late than never.

Kubo and the Two Strings has everything I wanted for it and more. Firstly, the animation is tough to be taken for granted. It's just too beautiful. Every detail, the scale, the whimsy, it's just incredible to look at! I also like how it lingers to them, unlike most animation today that is mostly frantic. The plot itself is also pretty engaging. The quest pretty much felt like a Legend of Zelda game, with all the strategies, the monsters and even how the items are presented. But the center of it all, it's classic animation where it doesn't really care how dark it gets, it's all about telling a compelling story, even genuinely. I know it's a shame that not many are actually seeing this in theaters, but I can see this movie being remembered in the next few years, the same way how people remember Scott Pilgrim more than The Expendables. And yeah Laika, never stop making movies, please!

Well, that was a lot of fun. The Age of Shadows is a spy thriller that is basically a ticking bomb and once things go wrong, it just gets brutal and chaotic. The set up for these characters and their plot is well put together enough to be engrossing. And the set pieces are just excitingly executed. The film is unafraid of showing something terrible from their consequences. Though there is one point at the third act where I wished the film had ended. It gets to feel a little too long as it goes on, but man, the train sequence alone is one hell of an exercise for suspense. The production is also too impressive and the acting is quite engaging. Overall, it's a dark and brutal, yet quite an edge of your seat cinematic thrill ride.