Shorties #16: “The Incredibles 2”, “Newness”, “Sweet Virginia”, “Half Nelson”, and “Like Father”

This article will have reviews of the following films in this order: The Incredibles 2,  Newness, Sweet Virginia, Half Nelson, and Like Father. 

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Unlike Deadpool 2¸ The Incredibles 2 doesn’t surpass its predecessor. It’s much more hollow and superficial than the first one, but it being worse was inevitable since the original Incredibles film was a straight A+. The villain’s motivation in this film was nonsensical and the pacing wasn’t the greatest, but the animation was stunning, the cinematography gorgeous and the action scenes exciting. I really liked what they did with the characters in this one as well, even though their grand arc seems to be a rehash from the one in The Incredibles. It’s servable and enjoyable, but it isn’t fantastic.

Grade: B

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Ironically enough, I was more tempted to reach towards my phone than put it away as is one of the film’s underlying messages. It was an incredibly boring ride, with uninspiring cinematography, lackluster writing, and annoying characters. The performances were decent, at least the one of Hoult, but the characters were just such pieces of shit that made the film very difficult to stand at times. It’s a very shallow film as well in basically every aspect, except for the soundtrack that carried a lot of emotion, unlike the film itself.

Grade: D+

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Sweet Virginia was one excellently directed film. Jamie M. Dagg created a good-looking film but above that a very thrilling and engaging film. He made every punch count and every gunshot loud, which gave them more of an impact and made them feel like they actually did something, unlike in films where gunshots lose their strength by being used continuously. Jamie M. Dagg builds tension brilliantly in numerous ways, due to which each sequence felt unique and special in their own way and it didn’t make the film feel repetitive. He could work on his pacing since the middle bit does start to drag in some places. His usage of mirrors to symbolize the figurative image one has of oneself was also done really well.
The characters were also written well, and they were portrayed equally as good, with Bernthal and Christopher Abbott as standouts.

Grade: B+

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Ryan Gosling’s performance is nothing but spectacular. It’s subtle and powerful, much like the film itself. The director and writer really did a good job of depicting his downward spiral and struggles in a realistic and believable way. Gosling plays a very likable guy who undergoes some stuff that makes him an unlikeable asshole, which also hurts him as a person. It’s a very complicated thing to portray, but they managed to do so. The film does have some continuity errors, but other than that it’s something precious filled with fantastic performances and characters.

Grade: A

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Nor is it ever as funny as it wants to be, nor as dramatic as it wants to be, yet it’s still an enjoyable film. Kristen Bell and Kelsey Grammer carry this decently written and adequately directed comedy, that does have some pacing issues and that isn’t really aware of when to call it a day. It’s never what it wants itself to be, it’s just fairly charming and watchable, nothing special.

Grade: C+

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