What movies did you see last week? (5/28-6/3)

Madoka Magica: Rebellion (2013 Rewatch) -- I had much the same reaction on a rewatch as I did on my first watch: This movie is TONS of fun to analyze, but my initial thoughts were that it is a little too overstuffed and paced a bit poorly (and Bebe is a terrible idea that should have been cut), and that still holds. Mind you, I still adore the movie: All of the fun of analyzing it is still here, and it earns its place as a legitimate sequel to the Madoka story I loved so much. It still works as a story about flawed, wonderful, horrible people that can be selfish and selfless, cruel and kind, loving and hateful, all at the same time. Only the pacing is off. It is still light years better than most movies I watch, it just falters a bit when compared to the nigh perfection of the television show. I'm gonna hold it at 10/10 because I love the characters and what was done with them so much, although it deserves a lower rating.

Wild Tales (2014 rewatch) -- The opening was hilarious on a first watch, but I think it is designed mostly to tell the audience what they're in for, so they know whether to walk out; already knowing the punchline makes the entire thing seem like an excuse to reach there rather than a story in its own right (said punchline still makes me laugh like a madman). The second story, in contrast, I thought was arguably the weakest on my first watch; this time through, the sick jokes the cook plays on the waitress all throughout left almost doubled over. The third story is still the weakest of the bunch; it's funny (and the punchline still makes me laugh), but this movie is at its best when setting up real suspense through the comedy (such as the cook egging on the waitress to commit murder), and these guys are too unlikable for that. The fourth story is a magnificent buildup of watching this man go off the rails, and has the funniest ending of the entire movie. The fifth is every bit as delightful as it was my first time through; like the story before it, this is an exquisitely crafted suspense movie that devolves into absurdity, and seeing the protagonist lose his mind is a treat to watch. The final story is, and always will be, the greatest wedding in cinematic history.

So yeah. I liked it a lot. 10/10

Crooked House (2017) -- First off: What's up with plagiarizing the score of Jackie and somehow making it sound crappy? Eh. Anyway, this is a perfectly average whodunit that never really takes off, because everyone can be a suspect. Which eliminates the suspense because there's never any leads to latch onto. That said, it is perfectly unoffensive, fairly enjoyable to watch the actors engage in a competitive act-off (although poor Max Irons is hopelessly outclassed by the likes of Glenn Close, Julian Sands, Gillian Anderson, Christian McKay and even Honor Kneafsey), and it isn't a bad way to spend an evening if you approach it in the right spirit. 6/10/b]