Oliver has written 18 reviews for films rated during 2018.
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Under the Silver Lake 2018
With a heavy dose of Lynchian surrealism and Hitchcockian suspense, Under the Silver Lake eventually makes itself to be less interesting than when it started. It’s a stylish but pretentious and vapid neo-noir that neither pays homage to early Hollywood films of its genre nor did it leave an impact on me. It contains an uninspired narrative that is unfocused in its meaning, an unlikable protagonist, an inappropriate use of over-the-top noir music, and a needless use of surrealism and objectification of…
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Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb 1964
A highly regarded but controversial Cold War satire from Kubrick that, more often than not, falls short of being funny when its humor is rather dull and repetitive, and so the straightforward plot flew right over my head. Still, while the film itself is unremarkable and the comedy dry, it can at least be appreciated for Peter Sellers’ stage presence, for he always steals the show.
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Mission: Impossible II 2000
Mission: Impossible 2 has everything a mediocre action movie should: an overuse of slow motion, an inept soundtrack, an overlong and contrived storyline, an easily exploited female character, a tone too serious for its own good, lots of explosions and boring action, and ridiculous fight choreography. Though, it has its moments and is still a passable film in its respective franchise.
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Into the Wild 2007
Despite an excellent lead performance by Emile Hirsch and a realistic portrayal of the true story, Into the Wild often comes across as pretentious, the protagonist’s motivations don’t always make sense despite his reasonable circumstances, and the messy storyline can make for some tedious viewing.
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Ant-Man and the Wasp 2018
The MCU tries to redeem itself with a fun, lighter flick that ends up being just another lackadaisical Marvel film that relies on a sense of humor that doesn’t always work and some engaging performances that can’t save the movie from annoying plot holes caused by an overwrought script.
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War for the Planet of the Apes 2017
Weak story and characters, the plot began to suffer after the first act. The movie is definitely overlong, but Andy Serkis' performance was solid, including the score. This film didn't resonate with me as much as I'd hoped. Quite a disappointment and not a remarkable piece of cinema like the 1968 original.
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Train to Busan 2016
Long and boring zombie flick with a clichéd storyline yet a few somewhat thrilling moments and some good action blocking
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The Revenant 2015
Long and uneventful with a lack of logic from the characters and coherence in the storyline