'Andre the Giant' (2018)

  The HBO documentary, 'Andre the Giant' takes a look into the life and career of the wrestling legend Andre Roussimoff, known to the world as Andre the Giant. Using old footages and interviews with people who knew him and those who were closest to him, the documentary grants us a look into Andre's private and public life. You get to see what made him such a charismatic force on and off the wrestling ring. Andre was a truly gentle giant with a kind and loving heart. Yet, behind the big smile, life was not always so kind to Andre. He was constantly in pain and never felt like he belonged in a world too small for him. Whether or not you're a fan of wrestling, 'Andre the Giant' is an excellent documentary that tells the story of a remarkable man.  

'Aquaman' (2018)

  Jason Momoa finally gets his solo movie as the Aquaman. If your sole goal is to not think and be entertained by mindless action for a few hours, then I'm sure 'Aquaman' is the movie for you. Jason Momoa is very charismatic and has a strong on screen presence. But, there is only so much he can do with such poor screenplay and poor acting around him, I mean he's not Superman (boom).  
  'Aquaman' tells the origin story of how Aquaman came to be the hero he is. It introduces us to the magical world of Atlantis and their long and complicated history with the human world. When a radical fraction of Atlantians want to wage war against the humans and proclaim Atlantis as the rightful rulers of earth, it is up to Aquaman to be the link to peace between the two worlds.
  I feel there was so much potential to do a better job of telling this story, but instead we get a poorly written mess of a movie unsure whether it wants to be taken seriously or not. However, the box office numbers show the human world didn't mind the predictable mess of a movie.

Yong's Score- 2/5
IMDB- 7.5/10
Metascore- 55/100
Rotten Tomatoes- Critics- 64% Audience- 79%

Great Movies Part 2

'Groundhog Day' (1993)

 Bill Murray stars as a weatherman stuck reliving the same day over and over again. Phil (Murray) is sent to Punxatawney on assignment for the fourth consecutive year to cover Punxatawaney Phil the groundhog on Groundhog day. Just when Phil couldn't think the day couldn't get any longer, he finds himself awake the next day to relive the same day all over again. And over and over and over again...
 Bill Murray perfectly captures the role of Phil as you see him mature from a narcissistic jerk to a genuinely good person. If you haven't seen this movie yet, go watch it over and over and over again.



'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' (2004)

  I used to say this was the best movie made in the past decade. Then I realized it's 2019 now, so I'll have to think of a new best movie of the past decade. Until then, I'll just keep referring to 'Eternal Sunshine' as the best movie of the past decade. This was one of the few movies I had to rewatch right afterwards to see what I missed during the first viewing. The screen play, the cast, art direction and the visuals all blew me away. I was in college when I first saw this movie and it made me think, "so this is what a good film is". 'Eternal Sunshine' deals with painful experiences and how one can chose to deal with them. Are certain experiences worth eliminating from your memories forever? Or do you lose a part of yourself by choosing to erase those bad experiences and everything and everyone associated with them, no matter how much they hurt you?

'The Shawshank Redemption' (1994)

  I've never met anyone who has seen 'Shawshank Redemption' and said they hated it. I mean how could you hate this movie? Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman star as two prisoners who develop a life long friendship while at Shawshank penitentiary. Based on a Stephen King novel, it has great story telling and amazing character development which is a staple of any King novel. There's so many iconic scenes that you just have to watch it for yourself. If you've seen this movie, you know why it's so hard not to like this movie. If you haven't seen this movie, I dare you to go watch it and tell me how much you hated it.

'8 1/2' (1963)

'8 1/2' is one of my favorite Fellini films so I wanted to add it here on part 2 of my great movies list. It is regarded as one of cinematic masterpieces and rightfully so. The film tells the story of a director having a case of what you would call writer's block for a film maker. As he tries to find ways to get his creative juices flowing again, he recalls his past for inspiration. Fellini perfectly blends the director's memories with his current situation to create a fantasy world that is mesmerizing to view. If you have deep appreciation for cinema, I would highly recommend '8 1/2'.