2020 Movies, Reviewed

(Published: 2020/01/04)

Edit: “I think 2020 is going to be a good year for movies” …sad smile.

I've been at the movies more times than usual this past few weeks and have seen four of the latest movies! So, I thought I might as well review them for you.

Rise of the Skywalker

I know this movie came out in December 2019, but it’s close enough. I have already reviewed Rise of the Skywalker rather extensively so I’ll just link to my article on that.

Jojo Rabbit

I went into the cinemas expecting a comedy for this one, but no! I was waiting for a light, possibly heartwarming movie with a few good messages and lots of comedy, but instead, I was faced with dark comedy and some pretty terrible moments! In case you were intending on watching Jojo Rabbit (although I don’t in any way recommend it), I won’t spoil it, but there are some very depressing moments after which the movie tried to make me laugh! I’m not laughing; I’m crying! Sigh… pick a genre, please. I get that it’s black comedy, but I’m pretty sure black comedy is when you have comedy and darkness in the same joke, not a horrible event and then a few unrelated gags. Maybe I need to watch some more black comedy movies. If Jojo Rabbit had taken the approach of a completely heartbreaking drama, I probably would have given it a higher rating because when it did have its dramatic moments, they certainly hit hard.

Score: 5.5/10 – It gave me a balloon, then popped it. #DespicableMe

Jumanji: The Next Level

I’m not entirely critical of this movie because I don’t think it was intended to be anything more than a light, comical, teen-targeted adventure movie, however, if I was to rate it on a scale of action movies, it would be pretty far down the list. The problem for me is that there was no tension. Throughout the whole movie, I was never worried for any of the characters. I never felt they wouldn’t survive or that they were really in any peril at all…which is a slight dealbreaker for an action movie. Even the three lives concept that is supposed to bring some mortality into the situation, didn’t! I may just spend too much of my time watching high stakes action movies like Baby Driver (the best action movie, I love it) though. Jumanji: The Next Level started slowly, picked up the pace a bit, and then coasted along for the rest of the movie, never really hitting any major highs or lows from there. The comedy was pretty good though. I laughed/scoffed a few times, especially thanks to Jack Black. Note: If you’re expecting anything like the original 1995 version, you’ll be disappointed.

6.5/10 – The food in the fridge that is not stale enough to throw out, but only edible and nothing more.

Little Women

Here we go, I can finally give a good review! I felt like a bit of downer for the last couple of movies. Little Women was such a good movie! I loved the way it jumped around the timeline of the story throughout. While it was sometimes difficult to follow when scenes were past or present (I watched for Jo’s hair length!), it really accentuated the characters’ journeys. For me, it built tension. I say ‘for me’ because I read the book so long ago, I forgot the plot. I should probably read the book again before I write this review, but I can always come back and change it later. I thought the casting was great. I love Saoirse Ronan in movies and she and Timothée Chalamet are really good together onscreen. I also liked the way that Greta Gerwig (the director) portrayed the characters as normal people. Often characters in period movies can seem very stiff and poised, whereas Greta brought the characters to life and made them relatable. Period movies can be dull and lifeless, but this adaptation of Little Women was everything but! I haven’t seen any other Little Women adaptations to compare it to, but I intend to watch another to see if it is the way the book is written or the adaptation.

9.5/10 – Lively, heartwarming, and inspiring.

Now I just have to comment. Male voters for the Golden Globes actually aren’t going to see Little Women because…it’s dull, or something? Which, I think is ridiculous. I don’t scream feminism at people, but honestly that’s just rubbishy. Greta Gerwig has made a wonderful movie and some people aren’t even giving her the respect of going to see it! I thought we were past this… it is the 21st century. Pretty ironic that Little Women is a story that stands for women in exactly this situation. Are the Golden Globes really fair if a movie doesn’t even have the opportunity to be voted for because of a bias? As an aspiring female director, female directors like Greta Gerwig are an inspiration to me, and in this modern day and age, I think it should be a given, not a privilege, that they and their work are respected.

So that’s my rant for today.

I’m excited for quite a few movies this year. I’m a fan of Stranger Things, so I’m looking forward to Finn Wolfhard in Ghostbusters: Afterlife (he’s also cast in The Turning but I have such a weak stomach for horror movies. I already flung my headphones across the room because of the sound effects in the trailer…). Also, I have yet to watch a 007 movie but I aim to watch a few before No Time To Die. The trailer for Tenet is so intriguing and I had a few theories about the movie having a backwards timeline interacting with the present timeline, if that makes any sense. I am very excited for that one. I’m quite surprised Birds Of Prey has been rated R because it looked light and intended for teenagers…apparently not. I was interested in seeing Birds Of Prey so I’m slightly disappointed about that. Black Widow looks like the best Marvel movie in a while, especially because of Scarlett Johansson, although I haven’t watched any of the Avengers movies and that’s a fair bit of catching up to do. I’m begging that Disney doesn’t ruin Mulan with the live action remake. Honestly, there are so many people’s childhoods on the line. And finally, Wonder Woman 1984. I’ve been waiting for it since my review of the first Wonder Woman movie (which was a very pleasant surprise). As I see these movies, I’ll try to make a habit of reviewing them to help out any avid movie-goers. I think 2020 is going to be a good year for movies. Fingers crossed!

–Charlie B.