Baby Driver - Movie Review

Baby Driver

Review by Ryan Davidson

Score: 9.25/10

Wow. I've seen a lot of movie car chases in my life, but never quite like these. Baby Driver follows Baby, a talented driver who gets wrapped up in gang activity, and relies on a constant stream of music to help him move forward. This film was excellent. From the opening car chase scene to the heartfelt finish, my eyes (and ears) were simply mesmerized. Yes, I said my ears were mesmerized too. The sound editing and sound design were incredible here, don't be surprised if this gets the Oscar nod in either of those categories. That being said, this is a film that demands you see it in theaters to get the full experience. Not only the action sequences, but the intricate sound design as well. This isn't just a big dumb action movie either, there's a real story here and it's a good one. The film is also hilarious. There's not a ton of humor (more than I was expecting, but less than a normal comedy), but when it's there it's laugh-out-loud material. Baby is also a very fleshed out protagonist, there's a lot of depth to his character that helps make the film unique from other action/gangster movies. This is one of my top movies of the year so far, and I wouldn't be surprised if the name Baby Driver was being tossed around come Oscar season. Most definitely gets my recommendation.

Cars 3 - Movie Review

Cars 3

Review by Ryan Davidson

Score: 6/10

Let's just get this out of the way, Cars 3 is a million times better than Cars 2. My score of a 6 should very well indicate that. That doesn't necessarily make it a great film, and it's really not, but there are definitely things to like here. The first two acts are a drag. It wasn't bad, as far as filmmaking goes, but it was just boring. One major plus right off the bat is that there's less Mater the Tow Truck. You gotta love that. Another major positive, which you'll get with any Pixar film nowadays, is the animation. My goodness, many of the backdrops just look absolutely photo realistic. The animation work here is just truly incredible. Now back to the story itself, In Cars 3 we follow Lightning McQueen as he nears retirement. A new racer, Storm, has arrived and changes racing forever. Now Lightning must adapt to the new way of racing and beat Storm, or accept that he's washed up and is too old for it. We meet new characters along the way, and the third act is actually quite exciting and heartfelt (surprisingly, at that.) We learn more about Doc Hudson, and his impact on Lightning's legacy, which was well executed. If it weren't for the above average conclusion, this might've been Pixar's most boring attempt yet, but thanks to a well crafted third act, and solid first and second from a filmmaking perspective, Cars 3 is worth a shot. 

Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie - Movie Review

Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie

Review by Ryan Davidson

Score: 9/10

This movie is surprisingly excellent. For a film that could've so easily drowned in bad potty humor it's even more satisfying when it ends up being an incredibly well thought out and creative venture. While it does stay faithful to the source material, it makes sure to not over do it on the potty humor. This movie is funny and clever, and just continued to impress me more and more with its unique storytelling. I'm a sucker for good animation, and Dreamworks has disappointed recently. It's nice to see them bounce back with something that is actually worth watching.  Although many will see this film as "too-childish," it is actually one of the more creative films to be released. It's off the wall, it's goofy, and it's funny. Those are what I expected going in, and I got those in bunches. I definitely recommend seeing this.

Alien: Covenant - Movie Review

Alien: Covenant

Review by Ryan Davidson

Rating: 7/10

Man does Ridley Scott make beautiful looking films. Alien: Covenant is just another notch on his belt of beautifully directed movies. The film takes place after Prometheus, but before Alien. Basically, it's a sequel to the prequel. I enjoyed this. Not only the aesthetic of it, but the stuff that's under the hood as well. Directed by Ridley Scott, Alien: Covenant follows the crew of the colony ship "Covenant" embark on a quest for a new planet, and they find one, but it isn't what they expect. We've seen that plot before, like a million times. What saves this movie is just how well made it is. It really is well directed and pretty well acted. Michael Fassbender was superb, and Danny McBride turns in a surprisingly good performance. It's good on the horror front, all though not excellent, those face-eaters are just naturally horrifying. Don't go into this expecting to see a bunch of Xenomorph's though, as Scott decides to be fairly conservative with his usage of the Aliens. All in all, this is a pretty good sequel-prequel, and I will be there to see the third installment when it is released. I recommend this film to fans of Alien, or the Horror/Sci-Fi genre. 

It Comes at Night - Movie Review

It Comes at Night

Review by Ryan Davidson

Rating: 8.5/10

I am genuinely creeped out by this film. Written and Directed by Trey Howard Shultz, It Comes at Night Follows a family in a post apocalyptic setting that continues to unravel information on a horrific threat that is endangering the entire world, as well as the young family that they choose to take in. Mystery, Suspense, and Horror surround this film, and it just screams well-directed. I got an art house vibe to this as well, and that helps the film more than it hurts it. Shultz proved one thing right, sometimes what is left unseen can be more horrifying than what the director decides to show us. Joel Edgerton is phenomenal, he really shines in this role. He's subtle and mysterious, which makes for a very interesting main character.  This is the type of horror film that gets me excited about where the genre is headed, and it totally gets my recommendation to anyone who can appreciate a more artistic approach to the genre.  

Wonder Woman - Movie Review

Wonder Woman

Review by Ryan Davidson

Rating: 9/10

I can't honestly tell you that I was looking forward to this film. Man of Steel was meh, Batman V. Superman was awful, and Suicide Squad was painfully mediocre. How on earth should I expect Warner Brothers to finally be able to come through with an amazing film? Well, they have. Wonder Woman is just fantastic. Directed by Patty Jenkins, the film takes you on a journey of love and hope. Right away, the action sequences are a stand out. There's an action scene toward the beginning of the film that just had me floored. Unlike the rest of the DCEU, however, Wonder Woman pairs this epic action with a heartfelt story and deep character development. Gal Gadot and Chris Pine really shine, and their chemistry is off the charts. There's also a lot of good humor here, which was an excellent surprise. One negative aspect of the film, to me, was its conclusion. It wasn't abysmal by any means, and this time around I actually cared about the characters involved, but outside of one really special moment the ending just did not hit me where it needed to. This is still a great movie. Not just by DCEU standards, but by film standards. I definitely recommend this to anyone and everyone. 

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - Movie Review

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Review by Ryan Davidson

Rating: 6.5/10

Three years ago many of us didn't know who the "Guardians of the Galaxy" even were, and now here we are getting a Guardians of the Galaxy sequel. Who would've ever seen this coming? The first one was a perfect mixture of epic action sequences and witty humor, but the second one just simply tries too hard. Don't get me wrong, overall I enjoyed the film. The action scenes don't disappoint, and there are definitely plenty of memorable moments, but the humor is a bit heavy handed at times. It's a cool popcorn flick, but it's not nearly Marvel's best effort. Yondu (Played by Michael Rooker) is a standout in the film; He has a beautiful story arc, with a great payoff toward the end. there's definitely some pacing issues, as well as character development that is lacking for a majority of the protagonists. Drax (Played by Dave Bautista) is unashamedly reduced to pure comic relief, which is a huge disappointment to the film as a whole. Some of the humor is also poorly timed, leading to tonal issues that hurt crucial parts of the script. I do enjoy a lot of the humor, but it wasn't always there for me. Overall I would recommend you see this one though, especially if you enjoyed the first film.  

Ryan's Movie Reviews

Ryan's Movie Reviews

These are my opinions, not a film bible.