Dakota99

dakota99
Cinema Addict - 1051 Film Ratings
Member Since: 21 Apr 2013
Location: USA
TCI: not enough ratings
Films in Common: 0
Not in Your Top 1000 TCIs
Bio: Chicago sport fan, die hard Chicago Bulls fan. Obviously like my film like most here, however you’ll find some of my writes to be a little personal and sometimes very critical. Specifically, if it’s stuff I relate to or in the case i feel is blatant, repetitive, and or disingenuous.

I am a huge fan of the incredibly stupid and cheesy Fast and Furious franchise, but I mostly identify as a horror nut with a strong inkling towards the Alien, Evil Dead, and Nightmare on Elm Street franchises.

Ya know that that saying “opinions are like assholes” well…doesn’t mean you have to be one. Cheers to film!

more Recent Ratings

88% No Hard Feelings (2023) - Rated 18 Mar 2024
"No Hard Feelings is very interesting. In many ways, its comedic & raunchy elements are actually its weakest link, and there is a lot more going on beyond the surface of this goofy premise. In the rare case the comedy isn’t the backbone of a film like this, the “coming of age” allegory it has going on for it’s characters takes a lot of unexpected turns with personal elements that are real, uplifting & resonating. It has a lot to say which is refreshing for a genre that has become stale lately."
43% Knock at the Cabin (2023) - Rated 17 Mar 2024
"Like a lot of Shyamalan’s previous work, Knock at the Cabin has a very interesting premise filled of ambiguity. It’s interesting enough to keep your attention through the heavy exposition and slow pace. However, there just isn’t much to really take from it. Its ending is rather anticlimactic, and doesn’t really deliver much of the Shyamalan’s schtick. Leaving a lot of this to feel pretty straight forward when it seems there could be so much more, and because of that, this feels forgettable."
43% Joy Ride (2023) - Rated 16 Mar 2024
"Joy Ride has a lot of endearing elements and uplifting moments to come away feeling good about the representation of its characters and culture. It has a lot to say which is something very rare from the comedy genre. Unfortunately, it also is held back by some very hit or miss humor elements, and a lot of it feels edgy & raunchy to the point it becomes obnoxious, and if it’s meant to serve as a self depreciating satire, it just misses the genuine humor to serve along side it’s story."
76% Thanksgiving (2023) - Rated 14 Mar 2024
"This is peak Eli Roth, for better and worse. Where his historically bad humor, horrible dialogue, and unlikable characters reign in so much of his filmography, Roth has found the perfect lane to mask all of his deficiencies, and in turn, use them as a catapult to a seriously dumb, but fun spoof of the grindhouse aesthetic. This is nothing new in terms of the visceral and gross flare that Roth has cultivated, and for some, it is too much, but it feels for the first time in awhile, he got it right"
10 99% Dune: Part Two (2024) - Rated 12 Mar 2024
"As someone who still has no prior knowledge of this material, Dune: Part Two excels in pushing its narrative into a cohesive direction. Where Part One leaves a lot of ambiguity to unfamiliar viewers, Part Two feels more like a bridge to its lore, than a movie itself. With that, its spectacle & set pieces feel that much more alive and enthralling within its context, and its ideologies are still so much bigger than we’ve seen yet on the big screen. One of the best sequels, in my opinion."
76% Talk to Me (2023) - Rated 23 Feb 2024
"Talk to Me is a welcome addition to a genre that has mostly played out the possession sub genre of horror. There is a lot of creative potential with this lore, and to its benefit, it really doesn’t give a whole lot of it. Its ambiguous nature kinda helps paint the whole allegory of its premise. For me however, I find a lot of the intellectual & phycological horror of it to be fairly surface level and kind of pandering to its real life implications. Still, there is a lot to like here. Very solid."
43% Land of Bad (2024) - Rated 23 Feb 2024
"Land of Bad is a perfectly serviceable time. It’s more of what the B-Movie aesthetic typically falls into. Hemsworth & Crowe are both solid in this, and dare I say I was a little more impressed with Hemsworth than I expected. The action sequences are pretty nice for a $28 million dollar production. The biggest issue aside from the fact it’s fairly bland, The last 20 minutes is unintentionally incoherent. Its execution feels like a complete tonal shift that is way too jarring. Still, serviceable"
43% 28 Weeks Later... (2007) - Rated 04 Feb 2024
"Aside from the fact this has one of the most insane casts for a horror entry, 28 Weeks Later does feel more mainstream in many aspects of its presentation. The film loses its grainy & unfocused flair and opts for a cleaner, but somehow less coherent, scope. The narrative is less engaging because it’s of its simplicity, leaving less to be answered. It also, manages to once again, create sequences that pull you out at times. However, its prologue is something special, and this isn’t bad, per se."
61% 28 Days Later (2002) - Rated 04 Feb 2024
"28 Days Later is certainly unique in its presentation. The grainy & unfocused cinematography somehow displays the dreary & ugly reality of its atmosphere, and whether that works for everyone or not, it’s fundamentally different for this sub genre of horror. It even makes surface level attempts of morale human ethics. Unfortunately, the ideology of the virus is kind of displayed in lackluster sequences that pulls you out of the world at times. Still though, this definitely deserves its flowers."
43% Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023) - Rated 25 Dec 2023
"Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom isn’t bad as nearly as it’s just forgettable, which may be worse in some aspects. James Wan is a great director, but he has never been one to elevate his characters, and with how horrible the screenplay is here, it makes so many of these characters that are already drowned in affects, that much more bland especially within there emotional sequences. Its best attribute remains some of the beautiful action sequences that Wan is known for, but I can’t say this was good."