jude_dawes

“We’re on our way, Ellie.” A perfect opening. Immediately adds so much depth to Carl, and weight to his mission. It’s a really sweet film. The scene where Carl is talking to Ellie, and then Russell notices and joins in, and Carl replies as if she is actually responding. So cute. Just shows how much she still means to him. It’s all about connection. I love Dug. I love Kevin. It’s a really funny and emotionally rewarding film. It does drop off a bit as it goes on; I think the villain is quite forgettable and I don’t like the final act so much. A great looking film, very bright and vibrant, matches that hopeful, adventurous tone really well. The score too, brilliant. The shot of the house drifting away, he is letting go of his grief. Ellie is more than just the house, he doesn’t need it for her memory to live with him.

“Pretend it’s a seed, okay?” I don’t like bugs or bug-adjacent animals, so I was feeling quite uncomfortable during parts of this 😭 The Harvestman Spider made me feel physically unwell. The message is cool. The exploited many working to serve the privileged few; reminding them to remember their worth and take ownership of their own lives. It’s a fun representation of that. Hopper is a great villain. His analogy scene is really good. It’s quite a simple story but it’s funny and enjoyable.

**My Most Recent 5 Star Review** “Amaze. Amaze. Amaze.” Project Hail Mary is a spectacle. The cinematography is incredible. One of the most visually stunning films I’ve ever seen. The score is brilliant too. Ryan Gosling delivers an incredible performance. The way they make you care so deeply about the relationship between a human and a rock creature is beautiful. I feel similar to how I felt walking out of Superman, flooded with positive emotions. You put a lone human in deep space and have him meet a creature that is incredibly non-human, and yet they both share the same goal. Grace Rocky save stars. It’s really inspiring stuff; seeing them interact for the first time, and then throughout, I was just overcome with joy and wonder and awe and curiosity and all the positive feelings you could imagine. It’s incredibly funny and also so emotional and endearing. It’s a film that’s meant to uplift, and it achieves that spectacularly.

“Stop being a Sullivan and start being you.” There is something special about the original that this sequel fails to recapture. This is still a very fun film though. The world-building is great. Little things like Randall’s evil glare being just a squint because he’s not wearing his glasses, such a fun detail. Some pacing issues but I like the competition a lot. I like the message about not being defined by expectations, but there is a deeper message that sometimes you won’t achieve your dreams, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find joy and success a different way, which is a surprising yet welcome inclusion. A Wholesome, feel-good film, though not as funny as I remember. The cabin scene puts sully firmly in the GOAT conversation. Generational scarer.