I started down the path of becoming a movie connoisseur in 2021.  I started my Christopher Nolan binge (worth it!) and realized that I love watching Andrew Garfield and Christian Bale on screen.  I branched out.  I watched movies I’d never heard of.  I watched movies I never thought I would like.

In stepping outside my usual comfort zone of movies I was surprised, disappointed, excited, entertained, and completely hooked on this new found idea of exploration.  Below is a wrap up of some of the most interesting little surprises I discovered . . .

1. The Italian Job – Lack of Climax

I still remember the first time I watched Ocean’s 11 and Ocean’s 12. I was on the edge of my seat the entire movie. My mom was almost laughing at me because of my complete engrossment and the anxiety I showed at wondering whether the characters could truly pull it off. If you’ve seen the Ocean’s films then you know what I’m talking about.

Now, fast forward to 2021.

I watched The Italian Job after my younger brother did. He found it exciting and hilarious and everything you could want in an action movie. I was optimistic, and I was ready to see another twist to an Ocean’s-esque film. I waited through the movie with bated breath for the sudden change in the plot, the bait and switch, the shock and awe. And then the credits started rolling.

Boring . . .

I don’t like waiting over an hour and a half to see the plot take off . . . although, I have watched Interstellar so maybe I can’t judge.  🙂  Though perhaps, I should give the story another chance and try watching the original (I watched the newer version with Mark Wahlburg).  

2. Onward – Quality Message

I was incredibly bored. That’s the only way I can explain how this movie ended up coming home with me from the library last January. While watching the movie didn’t do much to change my state of boredom, it briefly gave me hope that Disney is not utterly and completely depraved.

In my disinterested state while watching Onward, I was shocked into paying closer attention when the end of the movie came around. I have so rarely encountered such an incredible display of brotherly affection and care on film, especially in modern movies. The message (albeit quiet as it was) that children need their fathers thrilled me as well. The emphasis on the family as a nuclear unit in society surprised me immensely.

Disney has many issues, we all know this. And they love a good woke-flick these days with all the right politically-correct messages they can cram into 90 minutes. Onward was a breath of fresh air for me, though it was quite brief. There may be hope in this world still.

3. Dark Knight Trilogy – Engrossing Characters

A friend of mine talked me into watching the first Batman movie. I wasn’t convinced I would care, but I went with it because Christopher Nolan was the director. Can you really go wrong with Nolan?

I do not follow DC comics at all (I’m a Marvel movie girl!), but Christian Bale brought Batman to life. I also can’t resist when Liam Neeson is on screen. His voice is mesmerizing to say the least, and his character surprised me in ways I can’t share without dropping spoilers. 🙂 The second movie in the trilogy, The Dark Knight, brought several wonderful performances to the big screen. I greatly enjoyed watching Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel, she brought depth, love, and compassion to the character that was somewhat lacking in Batman Begins. The Dark Knight also gave us possibly the single best acting job of any villainous character yet portrayed. Heath Ledger was entirely believable as the Joker. While that could be disturbing to some, I was fascinated by his performance.

Michael Caine and Cillian Murphy did not disappoint either. Alfred Pennyworth is an incredibly lovable character, without whom Bruce Wayne/Batman would be nothing, quite literally. The Scarecrow did just that – scared everyone – but again, like Ledger, Murphy was convincing.

4. Spider-Man: No Way Home – Balanced Ending

No one can blame my skepticism going into the newest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Black Widow, while funny and endearing at times, flopped in my mind. It did not give what I felt was promised. Eternals, a complete failure, tried entirely too hard with excess plot lines, too many characters, and too little originality. Shang-Chi was . . . well, it actually wasn’t bad. It was funny, new in some ways, and kinda fun. Yet, it felt unrelated to the rest of the MCU (although I’m quite sure they’ll make a connection somehow, someway, someday).

Enter Peter Parker.

Spider-Man has the world riding on his shoulders this time around.  We seem to have forgotten that he is just a boy, still a teenager, not even finished with high school yet.  The heavy responsibility of his name weighs on him, but he doesn’t grasp it’s full import until near the end of the film.  The selflessness required of Peter daunts him . . . but not for long.  Sorrow and mourning seems to follow Peter wherever he goes now.  But hope?  It sticks around too.  That is a well-written story with an ending balanced realistically, with just enough promise to bring you back around for the next chapter.

5. Into the Woods – Realism

When my sister told me this movie didn’t have a wrapped up happy ending, I was thoroughly confused. I haven’t seen a fairy-tale that wasn’t neatly packaged and tied up with a big bow at the end. When I asked her to explain (naturally I was curious, how could she give away the ending?) she merely said, “Dreams come true, not free.” Of course I had to watch the movie: that wasn’t enough of an answer for me.

If you’re feeling like I’ve completely ruined this movie for you, I actually haven’t. The ending of Into the Woods has both happy and sad twists in the end, giving it the claim for a more realistic ending than a fairy-tale climax. I could not have predicted the end of this movie any better than I could have predicted the perpetrator in Agatha Christie’s classic, Murder on the Orient Express, but this little epic brings a lot of thought to the screen that is not often presented to audiences.