Mike Goes To Movies

Aladdin (2019) Ugh... I think the most succinct review I could give to this film is to put in one of those frowny-face emojis... Here is yet again one more uninspired live-action remake of a beloved Disney classic. This one had an uphill battle right from the get-go knowing it would have to compete with the late Robin William's tour de force performance as the Genie. However, truth be told, Will Smith's go at the role is not the worst part of this film. In fact, though Smith is no Williams, he does an adequate job at the role and tries his best to put his own spin on it (though it is difficult not to see Genie as simply being a blue-Will Smith). Aladdin is a strange beast as it is a mixture of recreating the original film verbatim and then also adding in some new plot points for Jasmine and the Genie.  The depth of these two characters are noticeably upgraded while the title character's arc remains quite unremarkable and relatively uninteresting.  Jasmine contends wit...

Pet Semetary (2019) God, cats are just the fucking creepiest... A second cinematic re-telling of Stephen King's classic 1983 horror novel, the haunting story revolves around the Creed family who have just moved into a rural home near the town of Ludlow. Upon arriving, the family discovers the titular 'pet semetary', an old graveyard where children have ritualistically been burying their deceased pets for many generations. As one can imagine, the 'semetary' is more than a little bit haunted... For those who are unfamiliar with the story, to go into further detail would spoil much of the plot and the horrors that befall Louis Creed and his family. Suffice it to say that the narrative, and the film's main theme, revolves around one of the truest nightmares that a family could suffer. Coincidentally, I actually read the original novel last year (not knowing that a film remake was already in the works) and so it was difficult not to compare this film with the...