I had actually watched this film a while ago, when it first came out, but I was held captive and forced to watch it again in a class. I didn't have the same eye for detail that I have now when I first watched it, but I remember it being a mediocre film.

The film is ridiculously cheesy. It is made by MTV after all. The plot is super predictable and the ending is delivered in the most worn-out, cheesy way possible. The film tries to be more profound than it is. It tries to be a story about a group of inner-city kids and a story about gang violence at the same time, but it needs to be one the other. The conflict between the main character and her husband seems forced. I do realize that it is a true story, but it could have been handled better.

Even though the actors are way too old to be playing high school freshmen, they are otherwise believable. They do really well in their roles. Patrick Dempsey also has a good turn in a supporting role. Hillary Swank does very well in her role, however I would have liked to see more about the students and less about her. The film did some cool things with voiceovers and her imagination while she is reading the diaries, but that only happens once.

So overall, "Freedom Writers" is not a terrible movie, but it is relatively interesting, however don't rush out to see it.

Freedom Writers
Big Tuna's Rating: B-
​How Did I Watch It?: DVD/Blu-Ray in a class.
Had I Seen It Before?: Yes.
Would I Watch It Again?: I doubt it.

This film was a really great film. I really liked it when I saw it in theaters, but I knew that I would get more when I watched it again. This is definitely the type of movie that you need to re-watch to fully appreciate it.

The film is phenomenally written, acted, and directed. McKay did a great job of making a hilarious film out of something that is dead serious. I was laughing frequently at the film's many jokes. The film is consistently interesting, even in the parts that aren't as comedic. The three storylines blend well together, and I don't feel that any one of them felt unfulfilled. The film has some magnificent editing too.

The acting in the film was very good. Steve Carell was hilarious in his role and nailed it perfectly. Christian Bale was great in his role. Ryan Gosling was phenomenal too, delivering some of the funniest lines in the film. Marisa Tomei and Brad Pitt were pretty underused, though.

I do have to say that the film can be a bit confusing at times, especially with the financial lingo. The explanations offered by famous celebrities were quite welcome, and for the most part, quite helpful and funny. There are some things that the film could have explained better, but I got the overall meaning of the film.

So overall, "The Big Short" is a funny, enjoyable, and well-made film. Give it a chance, and even if you are utterly confused in the first viewing, give it another go, because it is so worth it,

The Big Short
Big Tuna's Rating: A
How Did I Watch It?: Digital that I own.
Had I Seen It Before?: Yes.
Would I Watch It Again?: Yes.

This film had relatively good reviews for a film of this genre, and it had quite a cast, so I decided that I would check this out, since I wanted to see an action movie, and it seemed like a better choice than "Gods of Egypt" (which I will probably end up seeing anyway).

The film's plot was very standard. It was like pretty much every dirty cop movie ever made. That being said, I often found myself bored by the ridiculous amount of clichés in the film. The opening scene was pretty cool, and the ending had a few big twists that were pretty decent, but the rest of the plot was pretty mediocre. I found myself to be bothered that the film seemed confused (not confusing), since it couldn't really decide who were the "good guys".

The acting was the best part of the movie. Casey Affleck, Anthony Mackie, Aaron Paul, Norman Reedus, and Woody Harrelson are all solid. Chiwetel Ejiofor was great in his role, probably the most human in the film. Kate Winslet, though, is the shining star in this film. She really delivers as the leader of the Russian mafia, and I knew that she was in the movie, but was super surprised when I realized that was her after about 5 minutes of screen time. She was great. The cinematography was also good, but not revolutionary.

So overall, "Triple 9" isn't really a bad movie, but it's not particularly good either. I didn't even think that it functioned particularly well as an exciting action movie.

Triple 9
Big Tuna's Rating: C
How Did I Watch It?: In theaters.
Had I Seen It Before?: No.
Would I Watch It Again?: No.

I went into this movie with sky-high expectations. (Yes, I do realize the pun.) I absolutely love Taron Egerton and Hugh Jackman, and I adore Matthew Vaughn, the producer of the film (director of "Kingsman: The Secret Service" and "X-Men: First Class", among others).

The film was pretty solidly-made. There was some great cinematography, from showcasing the scenery in the areas in which they are training/competing to great POV shots of Eddie doing the jumps. The movie had me wanting to laugh, cheer, cry (even though I didn't), and lean on the edge of my seat, sometimes even at the same time. Taron Egerton nailed his role as the eponymous Eddie, and Hugh Jackman was also great as his mentor. The soundtrack was also phenomenal, and very fitting too.

I only really had a few minor issues with the film. There were a few conspicuous lapses in reasoning (He'll walk in here in a wheelchair!), but they didn't detract from the movie. Out of the five "antagonists" that I could find (the Dad, the Norwegians, the British Olympic Association head, the Flying Fin, and Warren Sharp), I felt that only the Flying Fin, the B.O.A. head, and Sharp felt natural. I thought that, albeit necessary to the story of the film, the Dad and the Norwegians felt very forced. I would have liked to see them handled in a less stereotypical way.

So overall, I was really impressed by this film. It was a well-made sports biopic that was a lot of fun to watch. I am a bit disappointed that it was released so close to the (also good) film "Race" targeting the same audience, and the competition will not let them realize their full potential at the box office. (By the way, it counts as an "Ascendant Independent" because it was the Surprise Screening at Sundance this year.)

Eddie the Eagle
Big Tuna's Rating: A
How Did I Watch It?: In theaters.
Had I Seen It Before?: No.
Would I Watch It Again?: Yes.

This movie is absolutely phenomenal. It is a great story about people who do the right thing, no matter the odds against them. It is heartbreaking, angering, and inspiring at the same time.

The writing is fantastic. The film moves along at a sharp pace. The dialogue is graphic, but never unnecessarily vulgar. There are so many brilliant lines delivered in this film that made me want to shout "Yes!" at the screen. The cinematography and score are also solid, heightening emotion and making the film feel more personal.

The ensemble cast is amazing. Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, and Rachel McAdams are getting all of the attention, and they are fabulous, however they are pushing some other talent to the back-burner. John Slattery has one of the best, most under-appreciated roles of the year, as does Stanley Tucci. All of the actors are ridiculously believable and make me think that they are actually these people. I even had a hard time sometimes remembering that this wasn't a documentary because it was that believable.

Overall, "Spotlight" is an absolute must-see for anyone who loves film. It was the best film of 2015, and it's my pick to win Best Picture.

Spotlight
Big Tuna's Rating: A+
How Did I Watch It?: Digital that I own.
Had I Seen It Before?: Yes.
Would I Watch It Again?: Yes.