It’s a challenge for me to review a movie like this because I didn’t want to see it, and then as I watched it, I wanted to see it even less. That’s due to the subject matter. There are a lot of things in movies like this that trigger me. I have a hard enough time keeping any faith that there’s any humanity left in the world. I don’t need to be reminded of it in entertainment.

Acting

This is certainly the strongest aspect of the movie. The acting is great across the board, not just Leonardo DiCaprio. I have to give a big shoutout to Sean Penn. Not just for his acting, but for accepting the role that he portrayed. Sean is known for his humanitarian efforts and criticism of the current administration. I’ve always admired actors who take on roles that are the antithesis of their personality and beliefs.

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Chase Infiniti was great, especially at expressing her raw emotions. Her character and acting were, for me, the most enjoyable aspects of the movie.

Story

This is where I have some issues. I felt like more often than not the story kept me at a distance from the characters. It was more like watching a documentary/reenactment than a deeply emotional movie. Basically, I didn’t feel what the characters felt or feel invested in them. The caveat is that I’m also working as I watch the movie to find Peetimes. That by itself is a huge distraction. I’d be interested to hear from others what they think.

My theory is that the story jumps into the action right away and never steps back to examine the motivations of anyone. What I think could have made this a deeply compelling story is, for example, we got to see Col. Lockjaw’s motivation for his beliefs. What events in his past shaped him? Basically, make him a sympathetic villain, because he is the villain of the story, or at least he’s the instrument of the villains. If his character is developed in such a way as to make me think, “Yeah, maybe if I went through that situation I could see why he might form these beliefs.”

And then see the other side of the coin: what events shaped the protagonists into the people they are?

When you see that, and understand the motivations of the characters, whether it’s something you condone or not, that makes for a richer story.

Grade: C

About The Peetimes: This is a long movie, so there are five Peetimes. I hope this helps. Two of them are recommended: the 2nd and 4th.

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Nprtykty, 03/28/2021

Brilliant idea with great information

I’ve been using RunPee for a few years now and it’s basically a requirement of going to the movies for me. The best part of course are the “pee times” that give you cues, synopses and times for when you can pee without missing the most important parts of the movie. There is also information about the credits- length, extras and if there are any extra scenes at the wayyy end. Super helpful to just know that it is or isn’t worth staying. There is a timer function that will buzz your phone when it’s a good time to pee. I also appreciate that the app is very conscientious about it being an app you use in a theater- dark background, all silent alarms etc. I will always enjoy the experience of the theater even if I could watch things at home- but I’ve even used it at home to check for things like after credit scenes or other information too.

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There are no extra scenes during, or after, the end credits of One Battle After Another.

Plot
When their evil enemy resurfaces after 16 years, a group of ex-revolutionaries reunite to rescue one of their own’s daughter.