Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is Actually Pretty Great!
Consider me a believer! I had zero faith in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle when it was either announced or we saw those first trailers. I loved the original, like we all did, and felt a sequel 20 years later was a dumb idea. That never works.
But let me tell you, I went and saw it in the theaters yesterday and that movie is delightful! Make no mistake, it really is just a jungle adventure movie, like I predicted, lacking the unique spirit/concept of the original. But the characters and especially the cast are to die for!
Oh, also, to keep this post Jumanji-related, here’s the Honest Trailer for the original.
Anyway, I’m not going to do a full review for Jumanji: Into the Jungle. I just wanted to share with you all how much fun I had with the movie. Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Karen Gillan and Kevin Hart make for one of the best ensemble casts I’ve seen all year! None of them is a weak link and they all get more than a few chances to really shine.
The central concept is that they play a bunch of high schoolers sucked into the jungle world of Jumanji. So they’re not just standard action hero characters. They all play insecure teenagers thrust into a crazy situation, each of them struggling with their own flaws while trying to stay calm and impress each other. It works out great!
And I legit teared up during the emotional climax, you all. Not ashamed to say it. They earned that ending!
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6 Thoughts on Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Like the coming of the tide and the dawning of the sun, another Star Wars movie is upon us! Unlike last year’s Rogue One spin-off, Star Wars: The Last Jedi is part of the main franchise! It’s Episode VIII! That’s pretty cool, right? That means this movie is super important and cool!
Movie Rating: 7/10 – Good.
I liked The Last Jedi, but I wasn’t blown away. I don’t consider it the best Star Wars movie since Empire Strikes Back. I think The Last Jedi was a fun and resounding adventure film, with plenty of cool Star Wars stuff, but nothing really beyond that. It’s the sort of movie you super enjoy while watching, but once you start thinking about it, there was a lot wrong with the movie. I know a lot of these complaints have been making the rounds all over the Internet, but now you can read my take on them!
So join me after the jump for my full review of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, as well as plenty of long-winded rants about the stuff that bugged me! And expect FULL SPOILERS for The Last Jedi.
Internet Genius Tries to Explain Learning Robots to Idiots Like Me
CGP Grey is probably one of the smartest dudes on YouTube. His videos are great! If you’ve never wasted an afternoon binging CGP Grey, now’s a good time to start.
Especially with his new video explaining how machines learn!
Now you can go forward into your day knowing more about computers and robots than you did yesterday. Congratulations!
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Mortal Engines is Coming Out!
Here’s a movie I hadn’t heard of until this teaser trailer came out today! It’s Mortal Engines! Peter Jackson is involved, though he’s not directing. I think it’s based on a book? Trailer looks pretty crazy, at least.
Yep, this one is definitely on my watch list. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I totally grabbed that $10 a month MoviePass deal a few months back and it has been paying off completely! I’m gonna see a ton of movies in the new year and Mortal Engines is one of them!
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Ready Player One is Coming Out!
For some reason, I’m not all that excited about Ready Player One. I never read the book, but the trailers make it look pretty cool. And I’m a pretty big pop culture junkie.
But, eh, I’m just not that hyped for this film. Looks pretty standard, action-wise. But hey, maybe I’ll be delightfully surprised!
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Henchman-4-Hire 