The Weekly Lowedown 11/12 – 11/18
Perception is the key, fair readers…
Whiteboards may be remarkable…Velcro may be a rip-off…and I may not trust trees because I think they’re shady.
How you perceive what you want in a film is what matters when deciding whether you will pay to see it. I don’t know what you want in a movie, so these reviews come from 10 different aspects based on the genre…each rated on a scale from 1-10. Then I average the ten scores for a more objective view.
Don’t fear the calendar because it’s days are numbered…and don’t fear a review that is full of numbers.
Yes, I’m afraid of speed bumps, but I’m slowly getting over it. And now…to this week’s Lowedown:
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Here’s The Lowedown on “Annabelle Creation” (R – 2017 – US)…Forgive me father, for I am about to sin!!!
Genre: Horror/Paranormal
My Score: 7.6
Cast=6 Acting=8 Plot=8 Ending=9 Story=7
Scare=6 Jump=7 F/X=8 Creep=10 Twist=7
12 years after the tragic death of their little girl, a dollmaker and his wife welcome a nun and several girls from a shuttered orphanage into their home. The girls’ presence awakens a demon possessing a handmade doll.
“This door is locked…and it will remain so understand?” This was for sure a step up from the first Annabelle movie!! What I liked the most was the Easter eggs in the story that not only linked to “Annabelle” but back to the Conjuring franchise. I expect this to all link together as some demented MCU like storyline…with Ed and Lorraine Warren in the middle of it all. I think this is worth watching…especially after the disappointment of the original.
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Here’s The Lowedown on “War for the Planet of the Apes” (PG-13 – 2017 – US)…Apes together strong!
Genre: Action/Sci-Fi
My Score: 8.5
Cast=7 Acting=8 Plot=7 Ending=10 Story=9
Violence=7 Pace=8 F/X=10 CGI=10 Sequel=9
After Ceaser suffers unimaginable personal loss, he wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind.
“There are times when it is necessary to abandon our humanity to save humanity.” What a great trilogy!! The CGI was so amazing in this that I could feel the pain of the apes as the movie went forward. Woody Harrelson was intense as the antagonist and I loved Steve Zahn as the comic relief…it was exactly what I needed to break from the sadness. It took six years for this trilogy to happen and it was worth it. Now I have to go back and binge all the movies…that might have to be your goal as well.
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Here’s The Lowedown on “Thor: Ragnarok” (PG-13 – Theatrical – US)…I’ve been falling for 30 minutes!!!
Genre: Fantasy/Comic Book
My Score: 8.5
Cast=9 Acting=7 Plot=8 Ending=10 Story=8
Imagine=10 Pace=8 CGI=10 Comic=6 Funny=9
With his hammer destroyed and his beloved Asgard under attack, Thor finds himself in the clutches of The Grandmaster and his gladiator style fights. With the help of friends old and new, he must return to his realm to face his sister…and find his true self in the process.
“Life is about growth and change. But you, my dear god of mischief brother, just want to stay the same.” It seems to me that they took the GoTG engine and made it into Thor: Ragnarok. What that meant to me is that it was a lot funnier but you’re no longer diving into the deep end of the pool. I do not agree with how they dealt with certain things, but I loved others as the movie progressed. This is probably my favorite of the Thor films as a whole and it’s well worth a watch on the big screen…even the 3D effects were pretty good. If you are any type of MCU fan, you have probably already opened a bifrost to the theater.
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Here’s The Lowedown on “Atomic Blonde” (R – 2017 – UK)…Don’t shoot, I’ve got your shoe!!
Genre: Action/Spy/Comic
My Score: 8.0
Cast=9 Acting=7 Plot=8 Ending=9 Story=7
Pace=7 Fights=8 F/X=10 Spy=9 Comic=6
An undercover MI6 agent is sent to Berlin during the Cold War to investigate the murder of a fellow agent and recover a missing list of double agents.
“I was made from the moment my feet hit the ground. This reminded me of “Long Kiss Goodnight” in a lot of ways and I LOVED the soundtrack!! I have not read the graphic novel (called “The Coldest City”), but I am told there are some major differences. For a spy movie, there is a lot to love…action, sex, and a great twist to make this very entertaining. The story had a little mud and there were a couple slow points, but with a good 4X4 and the right tires…you can drive right through this!!
In a Nutshell:
| Title | Genre | Aspects | Score |
| Annabelle: Creation | Horror |
|
7.6 |
| Thor: Ragnarok | Fantasy |
|
8.5 |
| War for the Planet of the Apes | Action |
|
8.5 |
| Atomic Blonde | Action |
|
8.0 |
