Zombieland: Double Tap

MY RATING: 6

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 18 Oct 2019

Genre: Action, Comed, Horror
Director: Ruben Fleischer-
Writer: Dave Callaham and Rhett Reese
Running Time: 1 hour 39 minutes

Staring: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin

Rating? R

SPOILERS? NO

STORYLINE

Columbus, Tallahassee, Wichita and Little Rock move to the American heartland as they face off against evolved zombies, fellow survivors and the growing pains of the snarky makeshift family.

MY REVIEW

It's kinda good that it took 10 years to make a follow up to the original Zombieland. It really gave the writers quite a bit of time to play with to craft a good story with our 4 anti-heoroes. I think they could have used the time more wisely. 6 was generous.

It felt to me that the characters hadn't grown at all. Typically, after 10 years, people would have changed. None of our main four have developed any new or compelling personal traits. They are the exact same, so the movie was basically a rehash of the first movie with new monsters.

There were definitely some issues with the movie, but it was a fun ride! Read my likes and dislikes below...

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• This was exactly what you expect. If you expected a lot of the same.. that's what you'll get, whatever that means to you.
• What a soundtrack!  Much like the first Zombieland, the soundtrack is full-on amazing! Metallica, Bob Marley, Bob Dylan and a little Kenny Loggins. 

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• It's a sequel, that is not the problem. They maybe regurgitated the same jokes a bit too much.  If you're a Family Guy watcher, you know those scenes when the joke goes on just about one minute too long.. yeah, it's a little too much of that.
• NO, absolutely NO character evolution in 10 years.

Joker

MY RATING: 9 of 10

GENERAL INFORMATION

Release Info: 4 October 2019

Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Director: Todd Phillips
Writer: Todd Phillips and Scott Silver
Running Time:  2 Hours and 2 Min.

Staring: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro and Zazie Beetz and well, quite a few more...

Rating? R

SPOILERS? NO

STORYLINE

In Gotham City, mentally-troubled comedian Arthur Fleck is disregarded and mistreated by society. He then embarks on a downward spiral of revolution and bloody crime. This path brings him face-to-face with his alter ego.. Joker. 

MY REVIEW

This is NOT a lighthearted DC Comic movie just to set that straight out of the gate. This is a dark and twisted tale of a downhill spiral that takes a mentally impaired man through seven levels of literal hell. It's feral. It's violent. It's glorious. Think Taxi Driver meets Fight Club.

The Joker has been played by Jared Leto most recently, Heath Ledger, Jack Nicholson going all the way back to Cesar Romero. None of them really stood out to me as the definitive "Joker". (We all have a "Batman" who will always be "the One!" My Batman will always be Adam West!) That being said, Joaquin Phoenix IS the Joker. Continue below...

What I DID LIKE about this movie:

• Joaquin Phoenix breathes, bleeds and cries as the Joker. He is perfection. His portrayal of the melancholy mentally unstable Fleck is hauntingly enigmatic.
• Writers Todd Phillips and Scott Silver created a solid tale that is mesmerizing to the soul. It's gritty and tragic but with moments of comedic perfection that lead to a genuinely great movie. This is good because it's just over 2 hours long and it keeps you in your seat. Well done gentlemen. 
• I don't want to give too much away, but the first two acts are written and filmed in a way that will help the viewer almost understand Joker's motivation for the final act. That's not to say that you can empathize with his actions or even remotely find them justified, but the viewer can understand what went wrong.  There are definitely hints to a societal breakdown where a mentally ill person who needs help and is receiving only the bare essentials can fall through the cracks and end up where he did. Let's leave it there and I'll be happy to discuss after any of you see the film. (I have a LOT of opinions about this aspect of the movie.)
• The Score. I'm a bit of an audiophile and when I heard some classic Charlie Chaplin from the classic 1936 Modern Times, I could not help but to smile. There are some great pieces in this movie.. a little Sinatra.. a little Cream.. and last but not least.. Send in the Clowns.

What I DID NOT LIKE about this movie:

• All of the action of this movie was in the final act and really in the last 20 minutes. It's not boring by any means, but it did feel like it took us a LONG time to get to the end.
• Plot holes here and there, but 
• The trailers gave away too much 
• Social commentary seemed a little over the top. It's hard to NOT say exactly what I want to with ought giving too much away. Let's just call it that it's very obvious what the writers were attempting. Although I do love the story, the idea that situation that was created almost intentionally by inaction of the people around him and the inept care of social service department led to the creation of basically a serial killer.

On a more personal note..... 

I had a night out with some friends..We got a roomba.. I tried to make the cats feel like he was part of the pack so I gave him ears and whiskers. His name is Karl.