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57 Seconds (2023)
Would've been a direct to DVD movie, were it not for Morgan Freeman.
Josh Hutcherson cannot act; And that might not have ruined the movie on its own, but he cannot narrate either. No offense to him, but he simply did not have that acting talent to pull it off credibly.. The story was juvenile, as if it were written by highschoolers. Even the script needed several more rewrites to be worthy of being made a movie. The storyline concept was capricious, and because of that, unbelievable. Supportive acting was hyperbolic, exaggerative, and the cinematography was very wooden- like a movie from 1975. Like most of the other reviewers, I'm just perplexed how they got Morgan Freeman to appear in this movie.
Murder Mystery 2 (2023)
Slightly better than its predecessor, imo
While IMDB currently puts this sequel at a lower rating than it's predecessor, I believe it was slightly improved, in both writing, acting (in no small part due to Mark Strong's strong performance), and production quality. That's not to say much, as I gave the first Murder Mystery movie a very low rating. Still, this seems to have made some improvement. The script follows the paradigm of the first movie, and would do better if it also didn't follow the same, irritating slapstick reality.
I just wish Netflix would stop turning out trash, and invest a little more time into production quality control. Their ideas seem worthy of pursuing, but what's ultimately released by Netflix is still trash.
Murder Mystery (2019)
Adam Sandler, now (much) older, plays Adam Sandler
Admittedly, I have never been a fan of Adam Sandler. But whatever remnant of humor there was in him being a crass 25-year-old, is just obnoxious and irritating coming from him as a 55-year-old. I know Jennifer Aniston can act; I enjoy her acting. I loved her in the movie, "We're the Millers." But it's almost like Sandler's own obnoxious personae obstructs her ability to deliver a credible character portrayal. And, as is typical of most Adam Sandler movies, the supporting cast of characters emulate his own amplified obnoxiousness. It does not help, that the script needed several more rewrites. The writing, at best, was amateur; at worst, it felt like the work of teenagers.
When We First Met (2018)
Rip off of many great films.
This is a pathetic rip off of many great movies, approaching none of them even at a basic mediocrity. Back to the future, ala hot tub Time Machine meets Big, wash/rinse/repeat ala Ground hog Day.
All great, classic movies.
This movie was annoying. Predictable. With an annoying Jack Black wannabe with an irritating voice and over the top persona that infuses irritating in just about every scene.
The reviews that called this movie cute, or suggested it has a twist ending- my guess? Paid trolls.
This movie was just pathetic. I've seen a lot of pathetic Netflix movies lately - with unusually positive reviews.
Resident Alien (2021)
Started off interesting, then downhill
The show started off interesting and I expected it to get even better, picking up its pace. Instead, it seem to get more laborious, the jokes and humor more tedious and repeated, the characters more two dimensional. He has awkward mannerisms, and laughs awkwardly; a situational comedic moment which is funny the first couple times, but loses its novelty quickly, and it's just no longer funny by the 7th or 8th occurrence.
I also felt like, as is the trend lately, I was being "educated" in political correctness with the addition of new characters and dialogue- a little girl in hijab who stops to pray to Allah in tense scenes. Seriously? The show ultimately lost me. It had potential, which makes it more tragic to me. I just couldn't get beyond episode 6.
Quantum Leap (2022)
I know they could re-capture the magic; they chose not to.
Season 2, episode 6 - I cried. I literally cried- it was THE magic that defined the original series.
Then by episode 10, it was back to educating us in the way of transsexuality. AGAIN! They literally STOPPED the episode to give a 6 minute info talk on transsexuality. In season one, they had an entire episode dedicated to a trans teen - I just couldn't watch it. I'm so SICK of it. Why can't they JUST TELL A STORY? Like they did in S2 E6? Is it that difficult to make a tv show without teaching alternative lifestyles sex ed? WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE? Why do they think people want such tripe, from a show that, originally, had very traditional values?
Totally Killer (2023)
Had potential; missed it by a mile
This movie certainly reminded me of Freaky, but without the strong comedic quality. While I appreciate that a genre earns itself a certain degree for suspending disbelief, a goofy high school girl inventing a Time Machine in her spare time? No. Just No. And the ending was so convoluted, I couldn't include a spoiler even if I wanted to. I liked the acting, the cinematography, the music. But the tragic, immature writing was the work of a 10 year old, not afforded to it even for a movie that is horror/comedy. No idea what the producers were thinking - this film script needed at least 4 more script re-writes.
Snatch (2000)
A decent watch, but I just don't get the love reviews...
Convoluted plot, fast paced (so fast, it's hard to bond with any of the characters, assuming you can follow them through the convoluted plot). If that doesn't make for enough audience confusion- be sure to turn on the subtitles. Without them, you'll be confounded by about 25% of the dialogue (Brad Pitt plays his character with a thick English-Scottish accent, further processed through a Roma/gypsy accent, and spoken fast and garbled. What he says IS accurately transliterated by the subtitles; but it's all but inaudible to the average American viewer. I can't imagine seeing this in the theater- it would be intolerable. Violence is extreme, but not gratuitous for a movie of this genre. The story, without giving a spoiler, is just about different groups of thieves trying to steal from thieves - nothing complicated, unique or impressive. Hence, I really don't understand the high rating on IMDb.
Tenet (2020)
A lot of love; a lot of hate
Ok, so I've read the scathing reviews as well as rave reviews. My dilemma? I agree with both. I liked the movie. It's not a masterpiece. It's obsession with complex physics temporal/time displacement and parallel universes is at times irritating, and not very accurate (as others have noted), but ultimately necessary for the story line and conclusion. The dialogue track is indeed abysmal- characters often mumble, talk too fast, or talk behind masks. I highly recommend watching this movie with English subtitles. You'll even have to rewind at times- you can't read fast enough to keep up. Sometimes the subtitles even say: inaudible chatter. People say you need to watch it multiple times to get it. You don't. But you may want to watch the last 3 chapters over, as I did; It helps to clarify the actions of dopplegangers/"twins", and why the movie's obsession with physics, matters.
The movie forces you to think, to keep up. If you just want to enjoy a good action flick, as action goes, it's not that great. I prefer movies with new actors, with actors I've not seen before. But I'm not sure these actors were quite up to the challenge of a movie this complex. Music was unremarkable. It's a good, thought-provoking movie, but not a masterpiece.
Superman II (1980)
Be sure to watch Richard Donner cut 2006
I remember seeing this movie as a kid in 1980 - loved the concept; but the script/ screenplay did NOT hold together. What seemed at the time like bad editing (I later learned) was the result of the producers ((Alexander and ilya Salkind) turning the second movie over to another director after Richard Donner had already shot much of the movie. It ended up fragmented, and it often didn't explain critical story line aspects. Somehow Donner received legal permission to finish/re-make the movie using archived footage he shot, as well as digitally altered, integrated screen test footage shot even before episode 1 had been filmed.
In short- it works. It raises the movie from sub par, to being a great storyline about the relationship between a father who sacrificed everything for his son, and his son, becoming a man.
Even if you don't watch episode 1, if you haven't seen this version, and you saw it in the 1980's, it's definitely worth watching this version.
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Great movie, but be warned- closer to "X" than "R"
This movie strikes so many notes- based on a true story, with remarkable acting that plays to both a dramatic and comedic effect, simultaneously (which is rather impressively done).
Many viewers complained of the vulgar language and no holds barred sex scenes- it served a purpose for character development, and creating the effect, by the movie's end, that left you feeling turned off by the excesses. Still, I personally would have preferred a true R editing; the movie clearly flirts with an X rating, and that's just not my thing.
Alexander (2004)
The positive reviews just can't be real.
I'm definitely missing something here. This film got a 5.6 on IMDb, and a reasonable rating on rotten tomatoes. It must be one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Acting was so over the top, it was comical. Many scenes showed Collin Ferrel with his eyes so wide open, I paused the film to see if they were his actual eyes. Accents just sounded fake and weird - I suspect they were attempting to sound Greek; they just sounded weird. At times the film saw itself as "artsy," and would change the color timing so you only saw one color (red), or the colors were all altered to other colors. I'm only guessing, but I think Collin Ferrel was trying to "act gay;" instead, it came off as simply poor acting, with a lot of emphatic mannerisms that might do well on stage, but not in a movie with close ups. In short, this was a peculiar caricature of a bad movie played by bad actors, despite the thorough top billing. I'm stunned how people saw it as anything but a funny movie that was not intended as comedy.
Project X (2012)
A sad commentary on today's generation.
People have described this movie as a modern day "Bueller's Day off," for millennials. The difference, is that Ferris Bueller never hurt anybody. He never attacked anybody, stun gunned someone, took advantage of them sexually, ordered them to undress , or set their house on fire. If this is the next generation's Ferris, then I worry we have raised a bunch of sociopaths.
Alien (1979)
Deserves a 10, but...a victim of its own genius and success.
Anyone who saw Alien before 1985 knows the iconic impact it had on all future sci-fi / horror movies that would follow. It was a creative canon, a standard, by which all subsequent movies would be held against in comparison (even its own sequels). The problem- why I give it 6.8/10? Like all classics, to be viewed by future generations, it cannot remain in a time warp, never to be compared to the future films it inspired or spawned. As my sons watched this movie, they cringed at the special and visual effects, and matte paintings, that for our generation were indistinguishable from a real life, massive set (the artists won Oscars for these masterpiece effects). But for today's generation, the special, visual, and model effects are readily distinguishable, and effectively destroy the film's illusion. My kids could easily point out where the seams to the matte paintings were located. I hate to admit it, but this film's only failing is that it cannot stand up to the newest generation of films, that it brought about.
Under the Silver Lake (2018)
It was like reading only halfway through the Davinci Code
The movie begins with an intriguing set up and what seems to be careful character development, given it's very slow, methodical pace. This is backed up by a very dramatic, stirring and amplified musical score reminiscent of the 1950's Hitchcock films, that hints of oncoming mysteries and a journey to solve them. Slowly (very, very slowly), the plot (which seems less methodical and more randomly meandering) leads us to a character who is a conspiracy theorist, who presents several conspiracies to the protagonist (several), all of which are then introduced to the film as well. Interspersed throughout all of this are random, highly graphic scenes of the protagonist in casual sexual encounters. One wonders if this is somehow conveying a tragic inability of the protagonist to cope, or some other nuanced message; after the final encounter, I personally came to the conclusion it was just soft porn. Also interspersed are scenes of the protagonist brutally assaulting 2 children, and another brutal, bloody and explicit killing.
Then, like the Deus ex machine of Greek tragedies, we're provided only one simple nugget of explanation to only one of the protagonist's mysteries, which somehow is supposed to bring resolution (not even close) and the movie ends. At this point, despite all of the character development, I did not feel like I knew this main character AT ALL. I could not discern if he was tragic or victorious, insightful or psychotic, the hero or just one of the villains. I don't think this is a spoiler ; I don't think I COULD give a spoiler for this movie. In the end, it was well-acted, but very poorly scripted, strangely scored, and confusingly contrived. I would sum it up as long, tedious scenes for character development that ends up vague, with never-ending plot set ups for mystery and shock that are never resolved, interspersed with gratuitous violence and soft porn.
Good Boys (2019)
What was the target audience ?
The movie seemed to fall flat in its inability to target any audience. The sexual subject matter made it inappropriate for someone under 15. The ridiculous dialogue and poor script made it inappropriate for anyone over 12. The poor acting, and the constant obscene language, well, just made it weird; I have kids, and I've been a teacher; kids don't talk or act the way the kids in this movie did. It was like a badly conceived tv sitcom. I'm just left perplexed as to how it's garnished an IMDB rating over 5.
What's Your Number? (2011)
Tasteless, unfunny run at insightful romantic comedy
It made the effort to be insightful, but missed the mark, in no small part due to the premise that a female with lose morals can fall in true love with a male (of albeit even lower morality), and by the movie's end, because they enjoy each other's company so much, they will somehow rise to the challenges of a real loving relationship.
Ok, so aside from my disappointment In the lacking depth, Ive still enjoyed some amoral flicks over the years that had the simple virtue of being funny; but this film really never elicited laughter. I was embarrassed a lot for the main characters- but even there, not to the point of finding their predicaments very funny. Music was less than average, and cover performances sub par.
It was just a lot less than one would expect from a well written, tightly produced Hollywood romcom.
Crash (2004)
"Threes Company" with roid rage
The movie had potential- great actors, amazing actors, provoking soundtrack. But the script and dialogue- after an hour of watching everyone yelling and screaming at everyone, I just lost interest. And the yelling doesn't stop until the end. Nobody ever talks or explains anything to the other characters; if they did, every conflict would instantly resolve. It was like painfully watching an episode of Threes Company where one misunderstanding dominos out of control, usually hinged on a character who is unhinged.
I was not entertained. Just walked away with a headache.
Gåten Ragnarok (2013)
Great movie for age 12+
I really enjoyed this film with my 13 year old son.
Only one caveat: the dubbing is aweful. The actors' voices do not match nor convey the spirit of the mood of the movie. If you intend to view this, watch it in the original language with subtitles. My son has dyslexia, but still preferred to see this film in its original language, with subtitles, than translated and dubbed.
Tolko ne oni (2018)
Not a fair review here...
I saw this Russian movie in Latvia with my son, who speaks Russian (I do not). He enjoyed it, and gave it a 7/10. I was forced to guess what was going on (no English subtitles) but this wasn't difficult. The acting was over-exaggerated, as if it were being performed by actors on stage, and the plot was pretty thin. The gentleman next to me, who I believe spoke Russian, fell asleep - snoring loudly, which didn't seem to bother anyone else in the theater. I think I heard some mild / soft laughs 2-3 times, but for the most part, the audience was pretty sedate for a comedy. I couldn't recommend this film. If slapstick comedy is what you're looking for, spend your money on another comedy, like Johnny English 3.
Deadpool 2 (2018)
I'm really torn...
I loved DP1 (gave it 10/10). I did enjoy watching this on DVD (I gave it 7/10, my son gave it 9/10= 8/10). But the constant jokes to the audience that it's a low grade movie with a poor script, cheap X men characters, CGI) - well, these jokes get less funny each time, and they happen a LOT in this movie. And regrettably, the script DID feel poorly developed, the X men WERE uninteresting, and any potential for good drama or humor seemed to get lost in the bloody carnage. I love violence in a movie, but the level of gratuitous gore is definitely "upped" several notches from DP1, with some scenes being things I could have died without ever seeing and felt none the worse.
I enjoyed watching this at the cost of renting a DVD. (I own DP1 in 4K). But I f I had purchased 2 movie tickets to see it - I'd be feeling a bit let down.
The Big Short (2015)
See "inside job" instead
I really wanted (even expected) to love this movie. I'm a big Steve Carrel fan (and I did live his performance in particular, in this movie). But while it had a serious task to tell the story of the subprime mortgage scandal and the complicit involvement of the banksters , and to tell the story in a manner intelligible to the average person, it told the story strangely. The intense performance of Christian Bale seemed oddly misplaced in a story where characters frequently stop and talk candidly with the viewer. The storyline constantly juxtaposes the seriousness of the repercussions, with offhandedly placed humor. It juxtaposes the greed of the banksters with that of the protagonists who are somehow excused for the profit they gleaned as wealth was redistributed to them, while others lost homes and jobs. And, indeed, as one reviewer noted here, many lost homes because they bought their homes unwisely, and the taxpayers were left to bail out everyone.
In short, for what I think this film is trying to accomplish, I much more recommend seeing "inside job." It's just a far better, straightforward film.
Monster Night (2006)
Disappointing.
I like low budget kid thrillers, like goosebumps, or "The Monster Squad." This movie fails terribly on so many levels. Poor CGI, extremely poor music soundtrack which plays almost nonstop - and all but gives a drum beat at the end of each poorly written and executed joke. Scenarios staged as funny are just odd. The target audience is extremely narrow - ages 3-7 at most, maybe even 6 as an upper end limit. Acting is quite forced, over the top, and I'm not sure if it was due to poor acting or poor directing. I honestly can't recommend this movie at all, and I'm perplexed by the handful of reviews here on IMDb that can. I regret feeling greatly misled.
R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour (2010)
Great series! But episode 2.6 (brush with madness) NOT kid-appropriate.
I love this series. Watching it with the kids in October - a tradition.
But I saw episode 2.6 (Brush with Madness) with my 2 kids and 3 of my friend's children. One of them, the oldest (aged15) responded, at the end of the movie: "this is more like (the movie) "Saw" than a kid's movie." I totally agreed. The ending was disturbingly violent - disturbing is fine for a children's horror genre; it goes with the genre. But disturbingly violent - not cool. Nope - not cool AT ALL. (Spoiler alert) I was genuinely put off by the ending, in which a teen aged boy and his girlfriend are (off camera) sawed in half. This is not appropriate for any film under an "R" rating, in my opinion. I did not expect this. The film has a warning that the film may not be suitable for children under 7; this episode was inappropriate for any child. Nobody under aged 17 should view this without a parent - and the graphic depiction at the movie's end should have been better warned of in advance. Cool concept. Well acted. Well written. But this was NOT WELL-TARGETED FOR ITS TARGET AUDIENCE OF CHILDREN.
R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: Brush with Madness (2011)
Extremely (disturbingly) violent
I saw this episode with my 2 kids and 3 of my friend's children. One of them, the oldest (aged15) responded, at the end of the movie: "this is more like (the movie) "Saw" than a kid's movie." I totally agreed. The ending was disturbingly violent - disturbing is fine for a children's horror genre; it goes with the genre. But disturbingly violent - not cool. Nope - not cool AT ALL. (Spoiler alert) I was genuinely put off by the ending, in which a teen aged boy and his girlfriend are (off camera) sawed in half. This is not appropriate for any film under an "R" rating, in my opinion. I did not expect this. The film has a warning that the film may not be suitable for children under 7; this episode was inappropriate for any child. Nobody under aged 17 should view this without a parent - and the graphic depiction at the movie's end should have been better warned of in advance. Cool concept. Well acted. Well written. But this was NOT WELL-TARGETED FOR ITS TARGET AUDIENCE OF CHILDREN.