supermario1 Reviews

Madame Web (2024)

Not even close to as bad as they say

[6/10 · 16 May 2024]

All I heard was how bad this is, and worst movie ever, and this will hurt Dakota Johnson's career, and sad that Sydney Sweeney had to be in this, etc, etc. I was watching it and waiting for it to get really bad and unwatchable, but that never happened. Was it perfect? No. Was it Spider-Man, Capt America or Ironman? No. Why does everyone expect the next movie to be better than the rest? Madame Web was more story than action and when there was action it was decent. However, they should have done something different for the final showdown. I don't think this is a spoiler, but the warehouse and endless fireworks...? What was that? The end with the three girls in Spider-like costumes was a little cheesy and looked more like a network wanna-be superhero show and could have been done a little grittier/darker.

This is a very watchable superhero flick that is far better than the three-point-something stars that it has while I write this. Hopefully being on Netflix's will boost it up into the 5 to 6ish range.

Road House (2024)

Pretty good for what it was...

[8/10 · 27 March 2024]

I'm not sure what people were expecting-the ones who rated it so low. It's a remake of Road House which was a somewhat cheesy 80's action flick. Giving it under 5 stars is just unfair and almost as if you're trying to counter the high ratings. It's no 10, but 2? Come on...

This updated version is more, not totally, plausible, but still just a movie made for entertainment. I don't think they were going for Oscars. Most all the actors were pretty good. Jake Gyllenhaals character was clever and usually had something witty to say. Conor's ("Knox") acting was decent. Remember, he's used to entertaining in the ring, but he's not a trained actor. However, they could have backed off on his insane smiling and not had him walk so odd in every scene. Unless I missed it, I would have liked more on his back-story. Was he former MMA, UFC? I don't believe he was as the main people didn't seem to know him. But how could hold up against, and sometimes get the edge on, a former UFC champ? A movie is only so long and can't be as thorough as a series so I accept it for what it was and really enjoyed it. I'd go 7.5, but since that's not possible I rounded up.

Flamin' Hot (2023)

Fun, watchable, a lie(?) that goes a bit overboard on the oppressed Mexican theme

[5/10 · 10 June 2023]

I'm not saying that people aren't racist and that Mexicans and any race of color haven't been oppressed and looked down upon. That's not the point. The point is that even though the story of who invented or idea'd the Flaming Hot flavor in this movie appears to be made up (plenty of reports out there), it's hard to tell if the movie is about the Flamin Hot flavor, the climbing of the ranks by Richard Montanez or if it's about the movies makers' take on how oppressed Mexicans are. It was all three, but heavily slanted toward the latter. It portrays Mexicans as the only culture who have been oppressed; the only culture who works hard; the only culture who has people that went from rags to riches (this story being Mexican janitor to Mexican exec). In the final scene it mentions waiters aren't just waiters, valets aren't just valets, etc and doesn't single out "race", but it was a bit too late. I wish that the Mexican rags to riches theme was more of a secondary/co-theme in the film and not THE film. Other than that, it was an inspiring and heart felt film that had a couple tear-jerking moments. Also, the boardroom scenes of the execs talking (with voice over by Jesse Garcia) like streetwise Mexicans were really funny. I'd like to watch those scenes with the actual actors' voices. There has to be some great out-takes/bloopers.

Last Seen Alive (2022)

Solid 6.5, rounded up to 7

[7/10 · 6 October 2022]

Worth the watch.

There's some twists and the intensity continues to build throughout.

There's some parts that are stretching as far as 'who would do that?' is concerned.

The final scene after the climax could have been done better--they could have done a one week later or two weeks later sort of thing. You'll know what I mean when you watch it.

The acting is good and aside from just a few flashbacks, I liked that the whole thing takes place in just one day over a few hours of time.

It's better than the 5.6 average that it has at the time I'm writing this--not less than a 6.5, not quite a 7.5.

Keep Breathing (2022)

You're looking at this backwards

[7/10 · 8 September 2022]

Reviewers are looking at this as a survivor series and saying it would be better if it was more about survival. Problem is, it's not a survival series. Its not a survival show that peaks in and shows us inside the life of the stranded traveler. But rather, it's a story about a woman reflecting on her life, decisions, trials and tribulations, while in the setting of being stranded in the wilderness. I will say that I liked the balance of the survival scenes and the flashback/memories for the first four episodes and they really told us who she was and how she became. Then episodes 5 and 6 were heavy on the memories. Too much for my liking, but my wife liked that more than me. Were there unrealistic moments where the average person to even the experienced survivalist would have died? Yes. Was this billed as being based on a true story? No. The episodes are short, there's only 6, so just watch it.

The Black Phone (2021)

Easy 9

[9/10 · 16 August 2022]

Don't be mislead by the cover (masked face) and think it's a slasher movie. It's not truly a "horror" either. This is more of a suspenseful thriller with a bit of a mix of survival-meets-escape sub-genre, if that's a thing. There's also a touch, but not too much of, supernaturalness sprinkled in--not so much that it's not believable. Totally worth watching.

Interceptor (2022)

Others had to have rated without watching

[8/10 · 18 June 2022]

There's no way the people who gave this anything less than a 5 actually watched it. If it starred Bruce Willis, it would have been another Die Hard. This was a great Netflix showing. Its better than some movies that did well in theaters. Easy 7, pushed to an 8 due to Elsa in the lead role and a comical cameo by Chris Hemsworth.

Ozark (2017–2022)

Great Show for a while

[5/10 · 3 May 2022]

It was stressful, but made you want to keep watching. I had high hopes that they would tie up the different plotlines and story archs, but in the last season they added too much and had too much to tie up. They rushed some of it and flipped flopped the directions they were going too many times. Then, instead of killing off the most horrible character, yes, Wendy, they killed off the best one: Ruth. WTF??? The show would not have been what it was without her. Then between the two main cartel members, they let the unlikeable one, Camila, kill Ruth. Was that for irony (if that's the term)? They also killed off the most likeable second half of the series character, Mel Sattem. He was one of the only ones doing the right thing; staying moral; turned his life around; and was doing his job as a P. I. Even if you didn't like him or thought he was irritating, it was because he was good at what he was supposed to be good at. And he was doing it without not killing anyone in the process. And who do they have kill him....? A child. So sad for the show to end like it did. I would have given the show a solid 8 if it weren't for the final episode. You may think I shouldn't let one episode bring down the other 43, but it was them, not me. Think of it like this--you don't award a "win" to the team that was winning the whole way thru who is far better, but lose because of a fluke play and a field goal at the end. They still lost. That's what the last episode did. They lost it in the end.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)

Looked promising, started good, but...

[5/10 · 23 April 2022]

I don't see movies in theaters very often, but this looked well worth it. I'm actually glad I went to the theatre for it because had I paid to stream it or waited for Redbox, I may not have finished it (or may have split it over a couple days). I love Cage, but this was just not as good as the current score here on IMDb (7.8 as I write this) says it is. The high ratings must be from people who can't separate the older Nicolas Cage flix from how this movie actually was. Maybe those who want to say he's "back" - not that he went anywhere - want to rate this higher than it deserves to ensure that he returns to the "A" list. It was ok, but lacked something. I liked the alter-ego character of Cage that other reviews say was Sailor from Wild at Heart. Initially I thought it was Randy from Valley Girl. It would have been cool to have a few of his old characters sprinkled in as the alter-egos, but that wasn't the case. Overall it was a bit dull and drawn out.

Buster's Mal Heart (2016)

Junk

[3/10 · 8 January 2022]

I've had this movie in my Netflix 'my list' for a long time and finally watched it. It was bad. I both understood it and didn't understand it. Then I figured it out.

It started out well enough to keep me interested. It was telling a story that was followable. Even flipping back and forth on the time line wasn't hard to follow. I understood what was going on. Then it started to frustrate me as it went in different directions like it didn't know what it wanted to be and it wasn't making sense. Then I figured it out: The writers/directors didn't know what they wanted so they pieced together a bunch of scenes, then ended it in a way to try to make us think that it was so complex that it had to be brilliant; that they are geniuses in how they came up with a mind bending, thought provoking film with an open ending for us to interpret. No--they just didn't know how to tie it all together and bring it to conclusion. The acting was great, but that's not enough to waste your time for.

Rust Creek (2018)

Nice "lost in the woods" type movie

[8/10 · 6 January 2022]

The title could be better--I think this one is over looked because of it. Not sure why the low ratings, but could be because of the length and because it's a bit slow. But it is steady and there's really no fillers or scenes that it could do without. I actually would have liked a little more. There are key elements referenced which could have made for additional scenes, providing more background for certain characters and some of these story. This is a solid 7, but I went 8 because the acting is that good. There's several movies in which trouble is found because of a wrong turn, which is sort of a sub-category (or sub-genre) of the lost-in-the-woods scenario and I'd say Rust Creek is a firm entry. Worth a watch.

The Witcher (2019– )

Season 1= great, season 2=

[7/10 · 4 January 2022]

...not so much. The first season worked because for the most part there was separate plot/purpose for most all episodes. There was usually something for The Witcher to beat, kill, or capture as he was more of a bounty hunter. There was a developing story weaving its way thru season one, but it didn't take away from the individuality of each episode. In season 2, there's an overarching story that took center stage and made for a boring drawn out show. Also, Jaskier, the comic relief, didn't have as big of a role in season 2. It should have been the opposite.

The Lost Daughter (2021)

Avoid

[3/10 · 2 January 2022]

We were hoping it would get better so we stuck with it. Sort of like an accident you want to keep looking at. Acting is good, but overall it's depressing, slow, and hard to watch.

The Education of Fredrick Fitzell (2020)

Waste

[2/10 · 29 November 2021]

Don't fall for the idea that it's deep and you have to figure it out. It was just bad. Was it trying to be Butterfly Effect, the Matrix, Inception....? It was none of those. It was just a mess.

The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020)

Brilliant. Clever. Brilliant.

[9/10 · 10 July 2021]

To know that the lead also wrote and directed this makes it even better, but my rating is based on the movie itself. Pay attention as there are many clues along there way that you can easily miss due to being drawn in by the great acting and humor. Often the humor is in scenes where the main character is frustrated or yelling at someone. Do not pass on this for any reason. Even if you don't like the idea of a werewolf movie, take a chance on this one.

Army of the Dead (2021)

Real rating : 8

[8/10 · 23 May 2021]

Why can't people just rate a movie for the movie they watched? Instead they compare it to other movies which are similar. Hint: there aren't any that I know of like this--this is a bank heist meets zombie movie combo. Or people compare it to Snyders other movies so they're rating it on a curve of his movies. Just rate this movie for what it is. That's fine to compare it based on which was better, but don't score it like that. IMdB allows you rate movies--they don't throw a bunch out there at once and say "compare and rate these against each other." Seriously, some people have this as a 1, a 2... Saying this is anything under a 5 is ridiculous. Think of it like food critics (real ones). Even if they don't care for a certain food or it's not their thing, they rate it based on "it". They can personally not like a certain food type, but can objectively rate or judge it. Please do that for movies. At least give it a fair rating then compare it in your review. 1's, 2's, 3's and 4's just aren't realistic.

Without Remorse (II) (2021)

Why are they comparing it to a book?

[7/10 · 5 May 2021]

This was a solid movie. It's not a book. You watch the movie and you rate it for what you watched, not what you read and how the movie compared. That's unfair. It's not a 10, but ignore any rating under a 5. The last 30 minutes felt rushed, but didn't ruin it. Watch the extra scene after the credits start running.

Songbird (II) (2020)

Critics copied each other

[6/10 · 25 April 2021]

This movie was not bad. It's not Oscar material, but it's watchable. It's like one critic ripped it, then others followed suit trying to one-up each other to see who could rip it harder. It's on Hulu for free so just watch it. After I watched it I read an LA Times article about how it was made which makes me appreciate it a little more.

Boss Level (2020)

Could Have Been Weekend Leader At Box Office

[9/10 · 8 March 2021]

Had it not been for the strange year of 2020, this could have been marketed for the theatre and may have landed Grillo a #1 weekend finish in a leading role. Boss Level is a top notch action flick in the time-loop genre (ok, that's not its own genre, but there's so many now that it could be). Boss Level is more similar to Happy Death Day combined with Happy Death Day 2 You than it is to Ground Hog Day. This was a very entertaining non stop action ride with a great cast along with a humorous bunch of small parts which made up a diverse entourage of bounty hunters. No slow parts or wasted time. Could have actually been a little longer. I didn't want it to end.

Alex Cross (2012)

Sloppy

[4/10 · 20 February 2021]

9 stars for the cast. 1-2 for the rest of it. This had been on my list to watch for a while so I gave it a shot. Hard to explain the wrongs here...

• great actors delivering corny lines from a bad script
• Grief of the characters doesn't match the losses they endured
• whole thing felt rushed and should have played out across 10+ episodes

I hope they reboot the Alex Cross story on Netflix or Prime.

The Crew (II) (2021)

I'm not a NASCAR fan, but I like this show

[7/10 · 18 February 2021]

I decided to watch this because its the opposite of what I would normally watch and I wanted to challenge my normal taste in shows. I haven't found a sitcom I liked since Seinfeld, I think Kevin James is funny, but was never interested in anything he'd done, and I could care less about NASCAR. It's about a pit crew for a NASCAR sponsor so sort of original. Kevin is the main guy and runs the crew. Pretty simple. Yes, there are laugh tracks and the jokes are planned to the point you know their coming, but it's a half hour sitcom and that's how they are. Although I didn't watch Wings very much, it sort of reminds me of that in a way. This show is pretty funny.

Disturbing the Peace (2020)

No.

[2/10 · 6 February 2021]

Just no. I... what... uh... no. I wanted to just say "no" as my whole review, but was told that was too short so I had to write this sentence.

Bloodshot (2020)

Would have been better as a limited streaming series

[7/10 · 31 January 2021]

The 10's are fake or from people who wanted it to be a 10. It's not bad though. There's too much going on in as short as a movie is, and would have been better if the details, twists, and lack of better word 'conspiracy' were given time to develope. Overall pretty good though. Even though it's sci-fi-ish/superhero like, its more believable than the last few Fast & Furious movies 🙂

Inside Man: Most Wanted (2019)

Bad Reviews are BS

[8/10 · 3 January 2021]

Not sure why there are so many bad reviews. They kept me from watching this for quite a while. Sure, there were a few actors that weren't selling it, but over all pretty good. There was no Clive Owens or Denzel in it so you can't compare it to the talent in 2006's Inside Man. The lead male, Aml Ameen, over acted at first, but that's how his part was written. He was still pretty good and I'll watch him again. We're their procedural flaws? Yes, but it's a suspense heist flick, not a procedural docudrama.

There were a couple clever twists that weren't predictable, yet similar in a different way than the first Inside Man. You'll know what I mean when you watch it.

Utopia (I) (2013–2014)

This Original Version is pretty good

[7/10 · 25 December 2020]

I generally love UK/British, European, and Australian dramas and crime shows more so than American. I didn't know the American version of Utopia was a remake while watching it and only learned of the original a couple months afterwards. A lot of reviews favor the original Utopia better than the American. I am not sure you can outright compare them directly. But if I had to, I have to say I liked the American version better. It was laid out and flowed better so you could keep up with what was going on. Some people think many American shows spoon feed you everything so there's no thinking involved, but there was in Utopia. You still had to figure it out.

Some of the characters seemed less developed in the original. However, the Jessica Hyde character was WAY better in the original than in the American. British Jessica was more likable, more compassionate, but also got things done. Arby was about the same in both--equally creepy. I would recommend watching both, but watch the original first, then the American version. That way you will see where the American version made improvements, but also where it fell short in some areas. Overall I liked the original a little less, but it was still very good.