Favorite and Least Favorite Tolkien Movie Scenes

The Broken Sword, a Tolkien-focused YouTube channel I enjoy, recently posed these questions as research for an upcoming video: What is your favourite scene in The Lord of the Rings? And why?What is your least favourite scene from The Hobbit Trilogy? And why? Having just rewatched the entire Lord of the Rings extended edition trilogyContinue reading “Favorite and Least Favorite Tolkien Movie Scenes”

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Film Review

This is one of my least favorite Harry Potter films. I am generally less of a fan of the David Yates films, which seem more plot-paint-by-numbers and lose much of the magical whimsy that make the books and early films so fantastic. This movie is probably the greatest offender because it leans so hard intoContinue reading “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Film Review”

Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker Review

Tonight we attended the first showing of Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise Of Skywalker and boy do I have some thoughts. My TL;DR non-spoiler review is that the film isn’t terrible but it’s very disappointing. It was mostly a OK film but then a couple of key decisions ruined it for me. In hindsight,Continue reading “Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker Review”

Fantastic Beasts 2 Review

Last night Katie and I went to our first movie in the theater since becoming parents – we’re so wild! We didn’t love the first Fantastic Beasts film so didn’t have very expectations for this one – and that’s about what we got. WARNING: THERE BE SPOILERS BELOW! THE GOOD There are some good visuals,Continue reading “Fantastic Beasts 2 Review”

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Review

Katie and I saw Last Jedi opening night, of course, and this was my initial, knee-jerk, non-spoiler reaction: mixed feelings. Some aspects I loved; some I wasn’t so sure about. Some comedy was lol; some fell flat. Some emotional beats gave me #allthefeels; some felt unearned. Some plot points confusing but mostly good tension thatContinue reading “Star Wars: The Last Jedi Review”

Blade Runner 2049 Review

I found Blade Runner 2049 to be positively captivating. It was long and slow but very immersive and I enjoyed almost every minute of it. Villeneuve deftly walked the line between paying homage to the tone and style of the original and exploring new, interesting territory. It is brilliantly directed, very well acted, and realizedContinue reading “Blade Runner 2049 Review”

Wonder Woman: Better Than Most DC Movies, But…

Katie and I saw Wonder Woman today and, while it was fine to see once, I was disappointed relative to all the hype that it has been receiving as a “best ever” / “game changer” comic book movie. Following are some more detailed thoughts, but WARNING: THERE BE SPOILERS BELOW! THE GOOD THE BAD THEContinue reading “Wonder Woman: Better Than Most DC Movies, But…”

Alien: Covenant – Interesting But Deeply Flawed

Katie and I watched Alien: Covenant this evening and, despite trying to temper our expectations, still left with very mixed feelings. All comments below are spoiler-free except where indicated. THE GOOD Michael Fassbender puts on an acting master class. The movie is worth seeing just for him. The movie explores a genuinely interesting idea forContinue reading “Alien: Covenant – Interesting But Deeply Flawed”