Pet Sematary (2019) Review

Pet Sematary (2019) was a really good horror drama even though it does not quite stick the landing. This movie is about Dr. Louis Creed and his family who relocate to rural Maine. One day they discover a mysterious burial ground hidden deep in the woods near their home that may be more than it seems. Jason Clarke gives a great performance. His character goes on a very unique journey and he sells every step of it. Amy Seimetz gives an excellent performance. She sells a few of the horror set pieces incredibly well and you immediately care about her. She also had believable chemistry with Clarke. Jete Laurence gives an incredible performance. She is immediately likable and does great in some character turns later on. John Lithgow gives a fantastic performance and makes the most out of a character whose main purpose is to deliver information. Hugo and Lucas Lavoie do a really good job in their smaller role playing the same character. The character rarely speaks, so there is not much for them to do. Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer did a great job directing. This movie is filled with a creepy atmosphere and sense of dread throughout. The script is where the issues begin to show. The first 2/3 of the movie are fantastic and kept me incredibly invested despite not being very scary. The third act starts pretty well, but the last 15 minutes become a very conventional horror film and lose the uniqueness the first 2/3 had. At 101 minutes the pacing is slow, but I was never bored even when the movie began to lose me at the end. Overall Pet Sematary (2019) is a really good horror movie that would have been great if the ending was as good as the rest of the movie.
7.5/10

The Beach Bum Review

The Beach Bum was an excruciating experience despite a dedicated lead performance. This movie is about Moondog, a rebellious stoner and author, who lives large. Matthew McConaughey gives a great performance. I absolutely hated his character, who was always drunk and high but he played it perfectly. Snoop Dog is playing himself, but he had a couple of funny lines. Isla Fisher is wasted and given nothing to do. Jonah Hill is fine in a small supporting role but his character is pointless. Stefania LaVie Owen gives a good performance and they set up the possibility for an interesting character but nothing ever comes of it. Martin Lawrence is by far the best part of this movie. His role is small, but it brought me the only real laugh in the whole movie. Harmony Korine’s directing is competent but unspectacular. The movie looks good visually but he misses numerous opportunities for fun drug trip sequences. The script for this movie is absolutely atrocious. There is no real story or character development for anyone. This movie is classified as a comedy, but I only laughed once and chuckled a couple of times. At 95 minutes the movie dragged on for so long I could not wait for it to end. Overall The Beach Bum is a movie that I cannot recommend to anyone despite its great lead performance.
3/10

Shazam Review

Shazam is a hilarious and charming edition to the growing DCU. This movie is about Billy Batson, a boy bouncing around foster homes, who is given the ability to become an adult superhero when he says a magic word. Zachary Levi gives an incredible performance. He plays a kid stuck in an adult's body perfectly. He also impresses in the action scenes. Asher Angel gives a fantastic performance. Even when his character is a jerk, you cannot help but sympathize with him. He nails all the emotional scenes he is given and almost brought a tear to my eye. Jack Dylan Grazer gives a really good performance. By the second act I was fully on board with his character, but he took me a bit to warm up to. His dynamic with Levi is the core of the film and all their interactions are highlights. Mark Strong gives a great performance. He balances the line between scary and campy perfectly coming across as intimidating, but also funny. Djimon Hounsou gives a decent performance in a small supporting role. Grace Fulton and Faithe Herman are great as some of Billy’s foster friends. Ian Chen and Jovan Armamd both give good performances but not given a lot to do. David F. Sandberg did a fantastic job directing. The action sequences are well shot and a ton of fun to watch. He brings a style that makes everything look like a live action comic book. The script is great with well developed characters, numerous laugh out loud moments and a fair amount of heart. The main characters interactions are always fun to watch. Even the villain was pretty well developed. At 132 minutes the movie feels long, but it never drags. The first act is a bit slow as there is a lot of setup, but once the second act starts the movie only gets better from there. Overall Shazam has some minor issues but is a ton of fun that I highly recommend.
8.5/10

Dumbo (2019) Review

Dumbo is a charming and enjoyable remake of the 1940s animated film, but is not without its flaws. This movie is about a young circus elephant whose huge ears enable him to fly. When the circus partners with a famous business tycoon, Dumbo and his friends begin to uncover dark secrets. Colin Farrell gives a fantastic performance. It takes a little time to really get behind the character, but he plays the emotional complexity of the role perfectly. Danny DeVito is a ton of fun as the owner of the circus. He plays the part well, but the role does not allow for many dramatic scenes. Michael Keaton gives a great performance. He is very over the top, but the fact he is clearly having a blast sells the craziness. However, he is using a very weird accent that takes some getting used to and it is distracting until you do.  Eva Green gives an excellent performance. She has a good dynamic with Farrell and she makes you believe Dumbo is really there. Nico Parker and Finley Hobbins give good performances as the kids who train Dumbo. However, some of their delivery comes across as very wooden and occasionally unintentionally funny. Tim Burton does a great job directing. This is a very visually unique movie and the scenes of Dumbo flying were pure magic. The script is good but has a very slow start. While not without its moments, the first act of this movie was not good. However as soon as Dumbo flies, this movie begins to soar. The second and third acts of this movie successfully reinvent the story for 2019 and are truly something special. The visual effects are incredible and the movie has an almost dreamlike look. Dumbo himself is absolutely adorable and stunningly realized. I never thought for a single second that he was not there. At 112 minutes the pacing is a mixed bag. The weak first act drags on, but the strong second and third acts fly by. Overall, Dumbo was a really good update to the original animated film but due to a weak start did not quite reach greatness.
7.5/10