Re: Thunderbolt's 2021 Movie Diary
 

I'm a bit dumbfounded on how Home Alone and the new Clifford movie received the same rating :shifty:

I know it's inconceivable. But in the words of Dirty Harry "Opinions are like @#$!holes, everybody has one."

287. The Grinch (2018) TV first watch
Good animation but the story didn’t really amount to much until 3/4 of the way through.

This wasn't great, but it was still better than the Jim Carrey version of The Grinch.

I haven’t seen the Jim Carrey version and don’t think I’ll rush to either.

288. Mo’ Better Blues (1990) TV rewatch
Arty film about a trumpet player and his trials and tribulations with women, other Jazz players and life in general. The finale was OK but most of the film consisted of small time banter and arty camera angles. The films 2 hours plus time frame did seem like an eternity.

289. Jurassic World (2015) DVD rewatch
This film brought the franchise into the 21st century with its use of technology and a whole bunch of fresh ideas to give the viewer something new. Greats action from start to finish which barely lets up until the credits roll.

Re: Thunderbolt's 2021 Movie Diary
 

I'd probably rate Jurassic World a point or two lower, but it's still fairly decent.

290. Miracle on 34th Street DVD rewatch
A very touching story and possibly one of the most renowned Christmas movies ever made.

291. Encanto (2021) Cinema first watch
Not much else to do on a freezing cold off but to go to the movies. This was the only children’s choice. The animation was top class but the story struggled by the finale. Even my Daughter wasn’t that impressed.

292. Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom (2018) DVD rewatch
Man stoops to new lows by meddling in genetics and exploitation. Very different
from its predecessor but it didn’t quite match the rush set by Jurassic World. However most fans will be in their element. As a whole franchise I have enjoyed these repeated viewings and it’s been nice to watch them as a family for the very first time. I look forward to the new movie next year.

The only Jurassic movie I really like anymore is the original; I mean, I rewatched The Lost World on VHS all the time when I was kid, but it didn't hold up so well for me as an adult. Anyway, none of the sequels are necessarily bad per se, but, with the exception of maybe a few scenes/moments (like the cliffhanging sequence in TLW), none of them have an overall level of craft that comes close to the first one, plus, there's this "you can't put the genie back in the bottle" sensation with them, because once you've seen state-of-the-art CGI/animatronic dinosaurs for the first time, you just can't recapture that same sense of wonder again, you know?

293. Beethoven's Christmas Adventure (2011) TV first watch
This comes straight from TV movie hell. Awful. Zzzzzz

294. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) DVD rewatch
James Stewart is quite remarkable as the man who is hell bent on helping everyone but himself. It’s hard to believe that this movie wasn’t a success on its release with such fine performances but I have to rate it 5 stars. I’m a sucker for an emotional story and this gets better each time I watch it.

295. Scrooge (1951) DVD rewatch
The best adaptation I’ve seen. Alastair Sim nails it.

296. Brewster's Millions (1985) TV rewatch
I like Richard Pryor and John Candy but this repeated watch didn’t really gel with me. I haven’t seen this for years but I remembered it being funnier.

297. Hands of the Ripper (1971) DVD rewatch
Fairly grisly Hammer Horror about murders committed by Jack the Ripper's Daughter. Over the top idea but pretty enjoyable outing from Hammer Studios.

298. Abominable (2019) TV rewatch
It’s nice to have a children's film with a serious emotional story rather than the usual humour to raise a few laughs. Very cute animation for adults as well as children.

299. Who Saw Her Die? (1972) DVD rewatch
An enjoyable Giallo which is unnecessarily complicated but makes it up with a hypnotic score from Ennio Morricone and some fine atmosphere.

300. Batman (1989) DVD rewatch
For me this is the ultimate Batman movie. A great cast, superb gothic atmosphere and dark humour make this the perfect 2 hours of blockbuster action. Keaton will always be my number one choice for Batman and Nicholson absolutely nailed the Joker role. I just love Tim Burton's vision. What a movie to celebrate my 300th view for the year.