wnfwyhp Reviews

Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

Nice Take on War in Vietnam

[7/10 · 22 August 2020]

Born on the Fourth of July details the true story of Ron Kovic, a veteran returning to daily life after being paralyzed in the Vietnam war. The film goes through his struggle coping with his new life and how everything and everybody has been impacted by the politics surrounding the war.

Throughout the movie, we see the evolution of Kovic's thinking, as he changes from being pro-war to anti-war, after seeing how horrific everything in his life has become.

The pacing of this film is decent. There are definitely points that did not feel as important as others and definitely feels more amped up then they probably were in real life. However, it didn't feel lacklustre.

As for Tom Cruise's acting... it was alright. Tom Cruise is a great actor who has had some amazing roles where he really plays the character well. In this movie, it didn't feel the same. Considering this is still one of his earlier roles, he should be cut some slack. The main problem was there wasn't enough believable emotion when he wanted his character to seem angry or sad. Changing the tone and volume of your voice isn't enough to sell it.

The ending was alright. It definitely made Kovic look like the guy they wanted him to go for. That being brave and heroic. Although the political convention at the end should have been fleshed out a little bit better it was still a meaningful art to the story.

Overall, this was a good movie and even though it wasn't something that seemed like it could take the world by storm, it was still a good watch. I was having a bit of a tricky time deciding on the rating but in the end I give it a 7/10.

Tears of the Sun (2003)

Exciting War Film That Plays With Your Heart

[8/10 · 14 August 2020]

Bruce Willis stars as Lieutenant Waters, a soldier in Nigeria who has the mission to rescue a doctor helping victims of the war raging on. This film had a lot to it, and as someone who enjoys war movies but doesn't watch them to often, mainly because there are other things I would prefer, I still enjoyed this one.

Although this movie was made in 2003, there is something about the camerawork that feels ahead of its time. The lighting is excellent and it doesn't have any of those annoying shaky cams we see on tons of films today... I'm looking at you Michael Bay.

Throughout the film, we are shown the utter horror of war. In the beginning, we are struck with having to wonder which side we should take when it comes to the soldiers trying to save people, and those people who want to stay back. It's disheartening to watch and is done great as it already fuels emotion in the viewer.

Waters is portrayed as an uptight solider, although he is just doing his job. He needs to follow orders but from a viewpoint of someone who cares more about morality and what is right, it is a hard pill to swallow.

Waters has great character progression and development throughout the film, first beginning when he calls the helicopter around to save all the Nigerians his group left behind. After this key moment, we start to see how he shows compassion for those who, without him, would be losing their lives in just over an hour.

The pacing of this movie is good. It's not spectacular, however, as the first half feels a little bit dragged behind, even if it is meant to build up the story. All the scenes with the chasing and bullets being fired at one another was an exciting thing to watch. The film had a great and fulfilling ending.

I enjoyed watching this film as it was filled with action and some suspense. Bruce Willis portrayed his character very well and almost every other actor and actress did a fantastic job as well. That is why this film deserves an 8/10.

The Walking Dead: Vatos (2010) Season 1, Episode 4

Fast-Paced Drama Ensues

[8/10 · 13 August 2020]

With a series like "The Walking Dead" drama needs to be present at almost all times. At least, most of the time. Developing characters and calm moments definitely make the show feel full and complete but seeing action packed and thrilling moments consistently being thrown to us onscreen is also amazing.

The main elements of this episode were Jim's unknown reason for digging holes at camp, Rick, Daryl, and T-Dog trying to save Glenn from being taken, and the ending where the camp is terrorized by a bunch of walkers.

Regarding the Jim elements of this episode, it didn't seem to mean much until the ending. However, it still felt like a perplexing moment for viewers and wasn't boring to watch even if the basic premise seemed recycled in some form in the alternating shots between storylines. It worked fairly well for a more somber story part in the show.

As for the group trying to save Glenn, it was iffy. The pacing of this wasn't that great. It felt really rushed, even if this would be a real scenario in real life. Something about it felt off, like the characters didn't feel three dimensional. It wasn't something I disliked, I just wasn't a huge fan of it. As for a one episode element, it is understandable. However, it felt like it should have been fleshed out a little bit longer.

As for the ending, it was intense. Andrea's sister, Amy, and Carol's husband, Ed, were killed when walkers attacked their campgrounds. Rick and the others who were out in the city made it back to them all while the attack was occurring and helped put an end to it. This was done well and showed us our first taste of how walkers can dismantle a group so quickly and is completely unexpected.

The reason Jim dug holes was for this reason. Although this may be seen as a cop-out by some, it didn't fee that way to me watching it. It was a little odd but wasn't anything that was disappointing. It simply symbolizes the toll that this new world everybody is living takes on people. It can create delusions with some people very quickly and they buy into it.

This was a good episode with some great moments. Although some parts felt somewhat basic, the overall structure was still decent enough to be a good episode. That is why "Vatos" gets an 8/10.

The Walking Dead: Tell It to the Frogs (2010) Season 1, Episode 3

Tensions Build at Camp in Good Episode

[8/10 · 5 August 2020]

In Tell It to the Frogs, we start off by seeing the mental deterioration of Merle Dixon and see him at his worst. He looks weak and is merely a nobody to the ungodly world he is now living in. This opening scene displays what the apocalypse can do to even the worst people.

Rick reuniting with his son, Carl, and wife, Laurie back at camp was so sweet to watch. It was an emotional moment played out in a great way.

Most of the episode is decent. Other than some interesting and awesome moments like Shane teaching Carl to catch frogs or Shane beating the crap out of Ed, the episode did not have to much value.

Shane and Carl's relationship is clearly developing and as a child Carl probably expects it to be a good mutual friendship. However, with a character like Shane, it is hard to tell if he is genuine as well.

Ed's comeuppance for being a jerk around camp is one that I enjoyed viewing. Although I wish there was a better and more deserving lead up to it, it still felt justified from what we have seen so far in the episode.

The episode mainly focuses around conversations of heading back to Atlanta to get Merle of the roof of the building he was handcuffed to and there isn't too much else to it.

Overall, this was still a very enjoyable episode that had some cool moments in it. Even though some potential for more drama was washed away in conversation, it is to be expected as sometimes we need to get to know our characters more. It is basic world building that we need to accept and hope it doesn't drag on. For those reasons, I give this episode an 8/10.

The Walking Dead: Guts (2010) Season 1, Episode 2

Let the Walker Killing Begin

[9/10 · 4 August 2020]

The second episode of The Walking Dead continued in its mission to give viewers a sense of excitement. The first episode was focused on setting up the story while this episode was more curated on starting a thrilling experience.

Rick Grimes meets up with other people and they try their to escape the city. This is displayed in a very tense manner, keeping us on the edge of our seats as this is the first experience of the adventure Rick Grimes is about to embark on.

In this episode, we are already informed on ways to outsmart the walkers and that is awesome. The creators of the show delivered in the first two episodes getting information relayed to the viewers.

As for the character introductions, there is not too much to be said. We are introduced briefly to a few characters and get a general idea of what they are like.

Merle is a little bit over the top but it does not feel completely false. It still feels genuine, although, this is the first human antagonist we are introduced to. Even though he doesn't hold a huge role in the show, he can be considered the first antagonistic character. His setup wasn't to grand, though. It felt placed just for a sense of extra drama alongside what was already happening. It was still enjoyable but I wish there was more of a fluid way of introducing him.

We see more characters at a camp, the two seeming to be most important at the moment being Shane and Lori, Rick's wife. Although it is shown they are now in a relationship, it is portrayed awkwardly. The opening scene probably felt more meaningful to the writers than it did to me.

As for the two of them in general, their relationship feels forced. Not forced in the sense of the writing of the show but in the sense of those two as individuals. It is an interesting and is an intriguing way to starting to show viewers of Shane's true demeanour.

In the end, this is still a really great episode and it rightfully deserves a 9/10.

The Walking Dead: Days Gone Bye (2010) Season 1, Episode 1

An Astounding Pilot Into the Apocalypse

[10/10 · 4 August 2020]

The first episode of The Walking Dead is one of the best pilots I have seen. Although I began watching this show years back and stopped after a few seasons, getting caught up in other things, I forgot some of the events in this episode and remembered others.

I realize now how important a lot of moments in this pilot episode are. Everything sticks out amazingly and a lot of it due to the fantastic acting in this first episode alone. The show itself has great acting but it hits hard right away.

The pacing of this episode is perfect. In only one episode we understand what the world is currently going through, who some of the main characters are, and how the walkers (zombies) change who they are.

A powerful scene in this episode is when Morgan is shooting a gun outside of a window to gain the attention of his now deceased wife, back from the dead. It is a hard hitting scene and it already shows the potential for how the apocalypse will break down our protagonists in the future.

This episode already has twists and turns and makes the audience feel something for the characters right away. Although this may seem common for some shows, there are some pilots out there at don't do the job at introducing everyone in a formulated fashion. The Walking Dead gets a good start at introducing everyone and giving us a brief synopsis of their life and morality.

AMC started this show halfway through their airing of Breaking Bad and, and I can say, although Breaking Bad may be the better show, The Walking Dead definitely had the more theatric pilot.

Overall, this episode alone makes me look forward to starting the series over again. This episode gets a perfect 10/10.

My Friend Dahmer (2017)

An Interesting Take Into Dahmer's Teenage Years

[7/10 · 3 August 2020]

My Friend Dahmer sheds light into the early life of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. It details his friendships in high school and dilemmas facing him back at home.

Most of the film is displayed in decent fashion. The camerawork and lighting is brilliant and the clothing definitely fits the real life 70's era to a tee.

Ross Lynch gives a great performance as Dahmer, straying away from various Disney works he participated in beforehand.

The pace of this film is almost perfect. It gives viewers the perfect amount of time to collect information and move on without feeling rushed or sluggish.

However, with every film, there are flaws to it. Most of my problems with the movie have to do with the acting or how some of the scenes are portrayed.

The dialogue flip flops sometimes between seeming very realistic to our own colloquialisms we use today and completely bland narration.

Some of the scenes came of as cringe worthy, mainly scenes where Jeffrey Dahmer was spazzing in his school or out in public. However, after viewing the film, I am undecided on whether this is intentional, or truly bizarre. It may be a good thing I am feeling a true emotion from Lynch's performance. It strikes off as being something intriguing.

Overall, I enjoyed watching My Friend Dahmer and it gave me more of an insight into the future killer's youth. I give this film a very respectable 7/10.