Written by: Kevin Berge

2019 so far really feels like it is trying too hard. So many films are coming out recently that want to be sweeping successes that comment on the genre, and they are filled with great actors in the key roles.

Despite this, none seem to stick, and that mainly comes down to scripts. The movies can attempt to build themselves up like they are changing the business, but mostly they just fall into the obvious cliches.

Great performances can only do so much for lackluster writing and direction. These days, it feels like most actors are at least solid in their roles. There are not obvious miscasts, but the writing and direction are still as sloppy and inconsistent as any time in film.

This week, I will be focusing on the romantic drama Five Feet Apart, the subversive romantic comedy Isn't It Romantic, and the dramatic thriller Greta, all of which don't quite live up to their potential.

Written by: Kevin Berge

Quick Take: Captain Marvel takes a surprisingly unique approach to the Phase One formula. It is funny and engaging though often uneven with strong pieces that do not always cohesively fit together. Much like other introductory MCU films, it is better at establishing its character than creating a memorable story.

Written by: Kevin Berge

This past week at the Academy Awards, history was almost made. A movie primarily aired on a streaming platform was the favorite to win Best Picture. While it did not succeed, it brought up a familiar debate most clearly articulated by Steven Spielberg.

The crux of the argument is simple: Netflix is television, and films aired on the platform primarily are not theatrical movies. They are TV movies. For this reason, movies like presumed favorite Roma, the Coen brothers' The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, and Annihilation would all be excluded from Academy consideration.

While I can understand where Spielberg is coming from in his argument, it feels like an outdated sentiment because entertainment is changing. Netflix and other streaming services such as Hulu and Amazon Prime (as I have talked about before) changed the way we experience television, and movies are evolving as well.

Written by: Kevin Berge

Quick Take: Fighting with My Family works as an engaging first look into professional wrestling as well as a family drama. While it takes shortcuts in its storytelling that may be too obvious to veteran wrestling fans, its overall impact remains firm with a fairly universal emotional impact.

Written by: Kevin Berge

The How to Train Your Dragon franchise was always the type of animated series perfectly suited to me as a kid even though it came out about a decade too late for me. Its fantastical setting mixed with strong storytelling and characters just feels right.

Despite coming to it late though, I still appreciate how good it is. Animated trilogies are a rarity especially good ones. Toy Story carries the pack with a few decent stragglers such as Shrek and Kung Fu Panda, but How to Train Your Dragon has been universally consistent in its excellence.

While barely noticed its impressive run due Dreamworks often working from behind in the animation world, this is a trilogy that needs to be celebrated and hopefully will be appreciated by kids, parents, and everyone in between for years to come.