I guess this post is still related to my South America trip. I got to watch thirteen movies I hadn't seen before, most of which I got to view while on the intercontinental flights from Manila to Lima and back. Here's a list of all the movies I watched and some quick thoughts on each:
Ready Player One
This was my favorite of all the movies I saw. I was initially hesitant to watch it because many people said that there was a ton of 80s video game references with which I wouldn't be able to relate since I don't play video games. As it turns out, it wasn't a deal-breaker. This movie has a great story, incredible action, and fantastic effects and CGI. I liked it so much that I watched it a couple of times on the plane and I have since gotten the DVD (and watched it again a few more times).
Murder on the Orient Express
I love a good murder mystery. While it is near impossible to guess who did it in this film, I thought that the theme, the tone, the flow of this story, and even the cinematography were all a bit too somber. I'm guessing that was the intention of the creators of this film but it didn't quite appeal to me.
Rampage
This movie doesn't have much of a story and it does get a bit cliche but if you are a fan of giant mutated creatures battling each other (like me), then you will still find this quite enjoyable.
Geostorm
I thought this film would be like The Day After Tomorrow, with climate change-induced calamities causing global destruction. It was kind of like that and kind of not. In this movie, the human race was able to develop a satellite system that could control the weather across the globe. While this system is very useful in that it is able prevent the worst forms of natural disasters from causing massive damage, if the system goes haywire or falls under the control of the wrong people, the world could come to an end. Once again, I thought this movie was enjoyable enough.
Love, Simon
This might have been my second favorite among all the inflight movies I saw. It is about a closeted gay teenager who struggles with wanting to connect while not wanting to come out. This movie did a great job in showing why even today, many gay people still deal with a lot of adversity. It is a well-written, feel-good film that features a very talented cast, including Nick Robinson who did an amazing job in the title role.
Trolls
Trolls got a lot of really good buzz when it came out, specifically because of the pop music featured throughout the film. It was entertaining for the most part but I can't say I enjoyed it as much as most other people because I really disliked the lead character Poppy. It is her attitude and behavior that gets all the trolls in trouble so I am annoyed that her success in the end of the movie lends itself to the idea that her behavior and attitude were acceptable, if not necessary, and that she has nothing to be sorry about.
Final Recipe
This is possibly my third favorite film in this list. This is a South Korean-Thai film that features a cast from different Asian countries. It is honestly very cliche and predictable, with a few scenarios bordering on being unbelievable, but somehow I found it to be very moving and heartwarming, with a bittersweet end.
The 15:17 to Paris
The short description of this film made me interested in it but after about a quarter of the film had gone by, I found myself getting bored. I still wanted to see where it would go so I kept watching. Towards the end, I started to realize this may have been a true story so I looked it up when I got home and apparently, it was. What's even more amazing is that the three lead characters were played by themselves, meaning the three people who helped subdue a terrorist in real life played themselves in the movie. I think if I had known this before watching the film, I would have been more engaged.
Tower Heist
I was interested in this film when it came out but I never got around to watching it. The twist that comes early on, which shows the reason why the people decide to attempt this heist, is pretty interesting. This movie is not quite Ocean's Eleven but it is still fun.
The Grand Budapest Hotel
This film was nominated for Best Picture in 2014 so I had always been interested to see it. While I realize it is critically acclaimed, it seems I am not its target market as I didn't really like it. It is directed by Wes Anderson, who also directed The Royal Tenenbaums which I also didn't like. I guess Wes Anderson's style isn't quite what I am looking for when it comes to movies. (My friends who are huge fans of Wes will disown me if they read this LOL.)
The Adjustment Bureau
The premise of this movie is that there is some secret, supernatural organization that seems to control everyone's destiny and ensure that everything goes according to the grand plan. It's an interesting concept that sets the stage for some pretty exciting sequences.
Blade Runner 2049
I am not sure what it is about my current taste in movies but while this film was critically acclaimed, with some of my friends saying it was their favorite movie of 2017, I actually really didn't like it. I don't know if my lack of appreciation is because I didn't see the first Blade Runner that came out in 1982. I will say though that the cinematography in this film is absolutely stunning and its Oscar award for Best Cinematography is extremely well-deserved.
Klute
This was the film in which Jane Fonda won the first of her two Oscar Best Actress trophies. This suspense-thriller was released in 1971 and while the performances of Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland carried the film and made audiences feel the intensity of the story and the scenes, it didn't give me an edge-of-my-seat feeling. Maybe that's because it was the last movie I watched before arriving in Manila and by then I was so tired. Still, it was a good film and is worth watching.
Ready Player One
This was my favorite of all the movies I saw. I was initially hesitant to watch it because many people said that there was a ton of 80s video game references with which I wouldn't be able to relate since I don't play video games. As it turns out, it wasn't a deal-breaker. This movie has a great story, incredible action, and fantastic effects and CGI. I liked it so much that I watched it a couple of times on the plane and I have since gotten the DVD (and watched it again a few more times).
Murder on the Orient Express
I love a good murder mystery. While it is near impossible to guess who did it in this film, I thought that the theme, the tone, the flow of this story, and even the cinematography were all a bit too somber. I'm guessing that was the intention of the creators of this film but it didn't quite appeal to me.
Rampage
This movie doesn't have much of a story and it does get a bit cliche but if you are a fan of giant mutated creatures battling each other (like me), then you will still find this quite enjoyable.
Geostorm
I thought this film would be like The Day After Tomorrow, with climate change-induced calamities causing global destruction. It was kind of like that and kind of not. In this movie, the human race was able to develop a satellite system that could control the weather across the globe. While this system is very useful in that it is able prevent the worst forms of natural disasters from causing massive damage, if the system goes haywire or falls under the control of the wrong people, the world could come to an end. Once again, I thought this movie was enjoyable enough.
Love, Simon
This might have been my second favorite among all the inflight movies I saw. It is about a closeted gay teenager who struggles with wanting to connect while not wanting to come out. This movie did a great job in showing why even today, many gay people still deal with a lot of adversity. It is a well-written, feel-good film that features a very talented cast, including Nick Robinson who did an amazing job in the title role.
Trolls
Trolls got a lot of really good buzz when it came out, specifically because of the pop music featured throughout the film. It was entertaining for the most part but I can't say I enjoyed it as much as most other people because I really disliked the lead character Poppy. It is her attitude and behavior that gets all the trolls in trouble so I am annoyed that her success in the end of the movie lends itself to the idea that her behavior and attitude were acceptable, if not necessary, and that she has nothing to be sorry about.
Final Recipe
This is possibly my third favorite film in this list. This is a South Korean-Thai film that features a cast from different Asian countries. It is honestly very cliche and predictable, with a few scenarios bordering on being unbelievable, but somehow I found it to be very moving and heartwarming, with a bittersweet end.
The 15:17 to Paris
The short description of this film made me interested in it but after about a quarter of the film had gone by, I found myself getting bored. I still wanted to see where it would go so I kept watching. Towards the end, I started to realize this may have been a true story so I looked it up when I got home and apparently, it was. What's even more amazing is that the three lead characters were played by themselves, meaning the three people who helped subdue a terrorist in real life played themselves in the movie. I think if I had known this before watching the film, I would have been more engaged.
Tower Heist
I was interested in this film when it came out but I never got around to watching it. The twist that comes early on, which shows the reason why the people decide to attempt this heist, is pretty interesting. This movie is not quite Ocean's Eleven but it is still fun.
The Grand Budapest Hotel
This film was nominated for Best Picture in 2014 so I had always been interested to see it. While I realize it is critically acclaimed, it seems I am not its target market as I didn't really like it. It is directed by Wes Anderson, who also directed The Royal Tenenbaums which I also didn't like. I guess Wes Anderson's style isn't quite what I am looking for when it comes to movies. (My friends who are huge fans of Wes will disown me if they read this LOL.)
The Adjustment Bureau
The premise of this movie is that there is some secret, supernatural organization that seems to control everyone's destiny and ensure that everything goes according to the grand plan. It's an interesting concept that sets the stage for some pretty exciting sequences.
Blade Runner 2049
I am not sure what it is about my current taste in movies but while this film was critically acclaimed, with some of my friends saying it was their favorite movie of 2017, I actually really didn't like it. I don't know if my lack of appreciation is because I didn't see the first Blade Runner that came out in 1982. I will say though that the cinematography in this film is absolutely stunning and its Oscar award for Best Cinematography is extremely well-deserved.
Klute
This was the film in which Jane Fonda won the first of her two Oscar Best Actress trophies. This suspense-thriller was released in 1971 and while the performances of Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland carried the film and made audiences feel the intensity of the story and the scenes, it didn't give me an edge-of-my-seat feeling. Maybe that's because it was the last movie I watched before arriving in Manila and by then I was so tired. Still, it was a good film and is worth watching.
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