Dune: Part Two

Dune: Part Two; Every aspect of the craft of filmmaking is exquisitely done by each department, distracting from the relatively boring story. One would (and very well still could) fall asleep if it weren’t so spectacular to look at and listen to. An insanely talented cast adds to the ruse; B+

The Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid; Suffers from lack of clear motivation for several characters and a skimpy storyline. Halle is a phenomenal Ariel, the true highlight amongst a decent recasting, many of whom don’t get to play around much w/their roles. New songs are awful or underwhelming; C+
 

Dune

Dune; Never before has a film looked so stunningly well crafted, designed, and shot, yet been so boring and devoid of anything to care about. Exceptional cast, looking fantastic, all adding to the amazing mood and world that’s been built. But so little happens in the setup; C

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales; Actors, orchestral score & visual effects work overtime to try and redeem story beats that aren’t up to par. The fun is there but far from former heights of the franchise. New actors fail to entertain as well as old returnees; C+

Skyfall

Skyfall; Small scale Bond film plays intimately with the cast and 007's history. Great acting and drama but action is scaled back too; B+