71/100

Remained surprisingly sturdy after a rewatch, to my surprise. I remembered something a little better than Ant-Man, a similarly "outsider" member of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that felt just a little bland. Quite to the contrary, though, I found this movie to be a spirited and unique entry into the mystical side of Marvel. Cumberbatch's Stephen Strange is pretty much perfect, he really fits the look and feel of the titular Doctor. Impressively, too, I really bought into the…

16/100

I'm a casual fan of the first Kingsman, a film I find to be exciting, mildly amusing and deeply infatuated with it's main characters; those being Eggsy, Harry and Merlin, who are all perfectly cast in their roles. I could do without the gratuitous tastelessness and unsettling misogyny, but the movie is fun and light enough to bypass that crudeness. I think Eggsy's character journey, while familiar, felt authentic, giving an underlying sincerity to all the absurdity that follows.…

I've been seeing lots of "controversy" over the supposed value of La La Land vs something like Moonlight, usually insinuating that La La Land's comparative levity somehow renders it lesser. My quick two cents would that be that yes, Moonlight is a magnificent portrait of masculinity in 2017's world, with broad, valuable insights on how race, sexual preference (*orientation*) and class all influence and inform one's identity. Basically a vehicle and showcase for compassion and empathy in a world seemingly…

In light of recent events, I'm reminded of Fermi's paradox. A cynical and unsettling notion which suggests the reason we've never been contacted by extraterrestrial intelligent life is that the no civilization has survived long enough to innovate to that level. Or, in simpler terms, that the fundamental nature of intelligent life is to ultimately destroy itself. As tech and sciences progress further and further, what matters is how we allocate that technology; what leaders we elect to control it…