Larry Bridgewater's Reviews
Just a Smattering of Wokeness
Bullet Train was directed by David Leitch, who also helmed Deadpool 2. This movie feels a lot like that one--with a pinch of Kill Bill. It's a hyper-stylized, ultraviolent action-comedy, which I enjoyed watching. Only a small handful of wokeisms sprinkled in cost this movie a 0/5 rating. THE FOLLOWING EXAMPLES CONTAIN DIRECT QUOTES FROM THE MOVIE, BUT I DON'T THINK THEY SPOIL ANYTHING. There was this exchange between characters:
LADYBUG: "God hates me."
MARIA: "No, She doesn't."
A character named Lemon (played by Brian Tyree Henry) had these two lines at different points in the film:
"You look like every white homeless man I've ever seen."
"I get captivated by white-girl tears."
Finally, one male character apologizes to a female character who just tried to kill him. He scolds himself mid-sentence, saying "I'm mansplaining, I'm mansplaining again. I'm sorry."
If these transgressions (and an endless amount of cartoonish violence) don't bother you, you should be fine to watch Bullet Train. I found it to be a good time and only a few unnecessary lines away from being "woke free."
Created: 11-05-2022
Almost Completely Non-Woke
Clue (1985) is among my favorite films, and I'm always on the hunt for something similar. I was very excited for Knives Out (2019) and found a lot to enjoy there, but ultimately I found it too political and agenda-driven to finish. Maybe one day. See How They Run (2022) strikes the tone I was looking for, without turning me off with wokeness. It is a meta, whodunit comedy featuring great characters, a fun story, and a terrific ensemble performance (led by Sam Rockwell, Saoirse Ronan, and Adrien Brody). Sure, I found it a bit predictable, but the movie is so self-aware, I think that might be a bit by design. If you like murder mystery-comedy that won't hit you over the head with the usual Hollywood messaging, I highly recommend this. One of the best times I've had watching a new film in quite awhile.
Now for the real business at hand. Let me start by stating that I am incredibly strict with evaluating cinematic wokeness. We have been so saturated with it for so long, that I have practically no tolerance for it. Many people would give this movie a wokeness score of 0/5, and I wouldn't argue with that. In fact, I'm tempted to do that myself. So, why a 1/5 from me? We all have a different threshold for this type of stuff, and I'd rather people decide I was too harsh in my review than that I failed to warn them of something. In the case of See How They Run, nothing bothered me enough to ruin my experience. There were multiple interracial couples depicted, which seemed forced for a movie set in 1953 England. Still, race was never mentioned, so it wasn't a problem for me. No direct preaching. There was an implied homosexual relationship (also interracial), but never plainly addressed or focused upon. In fact, a gay couple (half of which was a playright working in show business) likely would've been hush-hush back then, so it made sense. Saoirse Ronan's character (who I really like), is a female police officer, which briefly comes into play just a couple of times. Early on, the commissioner assigns her to the murder case (under Sam Rockwell's Inspector) because he's trying to further his career by painting himself as a "modernizer," having publicly claimed that "women are the future of the force." Later in the film, he takes her up on an offer to make him tea (after cautioning her that this is no way for her to be taken seriously as a police officer). None of this is played up or taken seriously, though, and it won't bother most viewers. The only part of the film that really bugged me was what I deemed a subtle swipe at American police. Adrien Brody's American character asks how English cops kill the bad guys if they don't carry guns, and he's told, "They don't. They ask them to stop in the name of the law." That may not be perceived as a knock by some--especially in a comedy--but I'm very sensitive to Hollywood's constant contempt for police. But, that's it. All in all, this movie can be enjoyed without having to endure the usual nonsense. I, myself, will keep this movie in rotation. I just wanted to be as thorough (and longwinded) as possible to inform others.
Created: 11-02-2022
SPOILER-FILLED Review of Spider-Man: SJW
These comments include BIG SPOILERS, so refrain from reading if this is a concern.
Uncle Ben has been replaced completely by Aunt May. Aunt Ben is surly and unlikable (Hollywood's version of a "strong" woman.) She has Happy wrapped around her little finger, reducing him to an emotionally needy and clingy mess, while she tells him their involvement was simply fun and no big deal. In fact, until she dies, the movie is basically the Aunt May Show. In the grand tradition of the recent MCU (i.e., Avengers: Endgame), Peter must be saved by a "strong" woman--in this case, the completely powerless, untrained, and ordinary-in-every-way May. Before taking her last annoying breath, she teaches Peter all the wrong lessons, with the ultimate one (and main message of the movie) being that all people--even super-villains who are mass murderers--deserve second chances. All the villains are depicted as victims who need help, and that's just what Uncle May, Peter, and company set out to do. There are a lot of woke examples that ensure I'll never watch this movie again, but the following is the most blatant:
Jamie Foxx: "You're from Queens. You got that suit, you help a lot of poor people. I just thought you was gonna be Black."
Andrew Garfield: "Oh, man. I'm sorry."
Me, too--I'm sorry I watched this. I really enjoyed the MCU early on (particularly before Disney took over), but it's now agenda-driven garbage.
Created: 10-14-2022
