jneiberger-1 Reviews

Reacher: Fly Boy (2024) Season 2, Episode 8

Just awful...not "Reacher" at all. Just Hollywood.

[3/10 · 23 January 2024]

The first season of Reacher was essentially perfect. The writing and acting absolutely nailed Reacher. It was a superb TV adaptation of the book Killing Floor. The second season has been so much worse, mostly the writing.

Season Two of Reacher is what happens when the writers decide to make it more stereotypically "Hollywood". This isn't Reacher. It's a dumb action flick with all the tropes, like unnecessary violence, thousands upon thousands of bullets flying everywhere and no one getting hit, people doing absurd stunts that make no sense, plus plenty of other physics-defying nonsense.

If you like Reacher, and especially if you like the books, I think you're going to be disappointed in this season and especially this absurd ending.

I haven't checked to see if the same writers were used for this season or not. If not, they absolutely need to fire this group and rehire the original group. If this was done by the original group, well, time to fire them, too, and find someone willing to stick closer to the source material.

Leave the World Behind (2023)

About as subtle as a sledgehammer

[6/10 · 10 December 2023]

There are many reviewers here who decry the bad reviews and say, "This is a thinking person's movie!" I disagree. The movie is not subtle. To the contrary, i think it's rather heavy-handed. Here are the major themes:

* We're too divided as a nation and ripe for further internal chaos and strife * We need to stop treating the environment so poorly * We're over-reliant on technology and it wouldn't take much for all the things we depend on to disappear * The balance in the world that we rely on for stability may be more precarious than we think * Racism is bad

All of that is true, but that doesn't make this a good movie. It is admittedly well-filmed and the cinematography is quite good. However, the characters are almost universally annoying with possibly a couple of exceptions. I suspect there is some symbolism that would require more thought to decipher, but I just don't feel like I'm motivated enough to care. No spoilers, but if you've seen the movie, I'm referring to the animals and to the blue shack.

I'm not that bothered by the ending. I get it. Some people will hate it, but I don't. It's the path we took the get there that was frustrating. I would have preferred it to have more depth and subtlety. Instead, it felt preachy and I don't like being preached to by my entertainment. A better movie would be more subtle, inviting you to consider its themes, leading you toward the conclusion rather than shoving you in front of it like it's an oncoming train.

Knock at the Cabin (2023)

Well filmed, well acted, but doomed by an awful premise

[6/10 · 20 May 2023]

This is a really well-made movie. I have to give it that much. The direction is right on the money. The music is right on cue. The cinematography is top notch. The acting is quite good, and I was especially surprised by the little girl. She has some serious acting skills for someone her age.

The movie even has some unexpected twists and turns that I enjoyed, the ever popular "subverting our expectations."

With all of that said, for much of the movie I just wanted it to be over because the premise is just dumb. Dumb, dumb, dumb. I stuck it out because I was hoping there would be some explanation that made it all come together, but nope. There was none. I don't want to give any real spoilers, so I'll just say that it would have made a huge difference if the writer had been able to explain just a couple of things.

As it is, it was decent movie that could have been much better with a few tweaks to the story.

Superhuman: The Invisible Made Visible (2020)

A mixed bag

[5/10 · 9 March 2023]

Let's start with the good: remote viewing is real, and Paul Smith is the real deal when it comes to practitioners and instructors.

Now the not so good. It was obvious that the PK experiments with the foil in the jars could be explained by heat/IR from their hands warming up the air in the jar and creating currents. I'd like to see them repeat it with maybe double-walled jars or, better yet, a vacuum.

The EEG stuff wasn't even paranormal. That's just writing code to translate brainwave patterns into sound or colors. Kind of cool, but not even remotely paranormal in any way.

The Ben Hansen stuff was outright fraudulent. It would be like demonstrating a telephone call and telling someone it was magic. Total nonsense. And don't even get me started on his infrared camera idiocy. The guy apparently doesn't know that he's just recording residual heat. It's embarrassing.

And lastly, the kids who can see while wearing blindfolds. There is someone I trust who is a scientist who swears this is real, but blindfold peeking is a thing. I just can't believe this unless I could do it myself. Until then, I can't help but assume they're peeking. That's why they hardly even look directly at what they're reading. They need to get a bit of an angle because that's where the gap in the blindfold is.

Unbelievable (2019)

Decent, but a little trite and tropey

[6/10 · 14 February 2023]

Decent miniseries but the acting is overly dramatic, the main and secondary characters are tropes, and the dialogue is straight from some dumb CBS primetime TV show. Whoever wrote this doesn't seem to get out much because they don't have any idea how people really speak to each other. And let's not even talk about the "mathematician" who doesn't understand math and the cop who doesn't understand how cell towers and cell phones work. Maybe call this NCIS: Denver or whatever. It's okay, but could have been so much better.

This honestly would have worked so much better as a dramatized documentary. I think they take a few too many liberties considering this is mostly based on a true story. I heard there was a podcast that talked about this case. It's probably best to stick to that.

Expedition Dogman (2022)

Absolutely pointless. I want my $1.99 back.

[1/10 · 3 February 2023]

There is precisely zero reason to watch this. Nothing happens. Absolutely nothing, except some dudes saw some trees moving and didn't even get it on video. Half the movie is them talking about the trees they saw moving. Someone does send them a video of some trees shaking somewhere else, which makes one of the guys cry. He is apparently very affected by trees shaking.

Do not watch this "documentary". If you do, don't say we didn't try to warn you. The people who made it should be embarrassed they ever released this. They're just trying to cash in on the cryptid craze, but they did an awful job of it. There is nothing useful whatsoever in this movie.

All Eyes (2022)

Okay-ish low budget movie with heart, but...

[6/10 · 28 January 2023]

This is pretty good as far as low budget indie flicks go, but it needed a rewrite. It starts out good but ends up telling the wrong story. Don was the best actor and the most compelling character in the show. This was Don's story, a love story about him and his ex-wife, and an adventure story about a man hunting the unthinkable on his own property. But this movie tries to put the focus on the podcaster, which is the wrong choice. They killed off Don way too soon and then turned the movie in "podcaster stuck in a lethal escape room" movie.

I'd love to see this same concept rewritten and made by filmmakers with more experience. There is a lot here to work with, and Ben Hall who plays Don did an absolutely fantastic job. He made this movie worth watching.

Lucifer: Family Dinner (2021) Season 5, Episode 9

This show doesn't even make sense

[5/10 · 23 September 2022]

At the end of season four, immediately before going back to Hell, Lucifer tells Chloe that she was his first love. But now for the past few episodes, he can't tell her he loves her and then comes to the realization that he is incapable of love? So was he lying when he told Chloe she was his first love? I thought Lucifer couldn't lie.

Dumb, dumb, dumb. I don't know how much more of this I can take if the show continues to be so silly and inconsistent. This constant back and forth, "will they or won't they" was fun for a few seasons, but it's old and boring now. I think I'll skip through the remainder of the series because I've invested so much time, but I'm not real happy with the way it's going.

Forbrydelsen (2007–2012)

Should be called "Red Herring". Four good episodes and 16 hours worth of frustration leading to an unsatisfying ending

[4/10 · 7 August 2022]

I've heard so many good things about this show, so I finally gave it a shot. I almost stopped watching after then 10th episode when I realized there were ten more to trudge through. The series has a good premise, but goes completely off the rails. I love Nordic police dramas and have seen most of them. I would not recommend this one. Season one, at least. I've heard the later seasons are better.

I'll quickly summarize some of the worst parts of this show, including the truly mind-boggling number of police drama tropes they squeezed into it:

* Nearly everyone is dumber than a box of hammers and acts too quickly based on too little information * There are probably eight episodes worth of pointless melodrama that just needs to be cut * Way too much of this doesn't even make sense in context * The show depends on the most incredible web of coincidences that it's just not possible to suspend disbelief * Danish police are, apparently, absolute idiots who also jump to conclusions without enough evidence...over and over and over and over again * Danish police don't turn lights on when they investigate any building at night * Way too many characters withholding important information for staggeringly stupid reasons * Speaking of tropes, we have the detective who is leaving the force but is held back for one last case * We also have the trope of the new detective who runs around like a bull in a china shop and acts like a total moron in someone attempt to prove himself better than the outgoing detective * We have the trope of the detective's child who is mad at the parent for not being home enough and not being involved with their lives because they're constantly at work * We have the lover who, despite being in a profession related to law enforcement, doesn't seem to understand the demands of law enforcement * We also have the meddling mother who knows best and constantly criticizes her adult children (actually, we get a couple of those, like a two-for-one deal) * There are people who do inexplicable things that make no sense other than to further the plot, and it's maddening how many times that happens.

* I almost forgot to mention the parents of the murder victim who take matters into their own hands when they don't think the police are doing a good job * In a similar vein, we have family and friends beating someone within an inch of his life who turns out to be innocent

That enough for now. You get the point. This show has every single police drama trope you've ever seen.

Another problem with the show is it tries to be two different shows. If you want to watch a show about Danish government, watch Borgen. If you want to watch a detective show, maybe watch Dicte or Broen. This show is an exercise in endurance and frustration. I was practically fast-forwarding by the end just to see how it turned out. The ending is not worth it. Find something else to watch.

Love & Anarchy: Art, Love, Capitalism and the Courage to Change Their Conditions (2022) Season 2, Episode 8

Easily one of the best episodes of the show

[9/10 · 11 July 2022]

The show is mostly a silly comedy, but leaves room for a great deal of real drama. This episode hits all the right notes. The drama is poignant, and the acting is fantastic.

Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom (2015)

A punch in the gut, and a must-see

[9/10 · 3 March 2022]

I've been to Kyiv and seen Maidan Square. I've seen the photos of the people who died lining the street. This is the story of a country fighting to be a free, democratic nation, free from the grip of Putin. As you can see by current events, Putin will do anything to stop Ukraine from being truly free.

The Jump (2020)

A wonderful movie that will make you sad, happy, and somber

[9/10 · 16 February 2022]

A Lithuanian friend of mine asked me to watch this. She knew I would like it, and I did. I loved it! I had never heard this story before, and I was too young when it happened to know anything about it.

But after knowing some Lithuanians and actually seeing the KGB prison for myself a few years ago, this movie really hit me hard. I wish everyone in the "western" countries would get to know some Lithuanians or anyone else who lived under the Soviet Union. When you get to know them and their stories, it makes you appreciate what we have here, despite our faults and problems.

Reacher (2022– )

About as good as a book adaptation can get

[5/10 · 5 February 2022]

In the movies, Tom Cruise did a decent job getting the Reacher attitude right, but he was just wrong for the part. This guy, Alan Ritchson, absolutely nails the part. He's perfect for Reacher.

As for the rest, everything about this show was pretty much perfect. The dialogue, the casting, you name it. This is how you do a book adaption right. I love that they started with the first book, Killing Floor. I watched the series in two days and I absolutely cannot wait for season two.

The Last Duel (2021)

Eh....it's fine. Several miscastings.

[6/10 · 25 January 2022]

This movie would have been immediately improved if Damon and Affleck were not in it. Yes, they wrote it, but they don't suit the parts they played. Their presence was distracting more than anything. There some other minor characters that I think were miscast, as well.

The movie tells the same story from three different perspectives. I don't think this story benefits from that type of storytelling. It feels tedious here.

And let's not even start with these horrible accents. It's set in France, but everyone is sort of doing this half-British accent, but only sometimes. And everyone seems to have their own version of this bad accent. It changes so often, it ruins the immersion.

This is an okay movie that could have been a much better one if handled differently with a slightly different cast.

Fire in the Sky (1993)

Fascinating story, not a great movie. We need a remake!

[6/10 · 13 January 2022]

This is a fascinating story, but this movie has not aged well. I loved it back when it came out, but now that I'm older it feels like a made-for-TV movie with some pretty bad dialogue and some silly personal drama added that detracts from the story, in my opinion.

I'd love to see a new version that tells the story, but with better, more realistic dialogue and less melodrama.

Deathtrap (1982)

Wonderful classic gem

[8/10 · 4 January 2022]

The writing and acting in this are absolutely top notch, and it shows how great of an actor Christopher Reeve was. He didn't really get a chance to demonstrate it in Superman, which is what he's mostly known for. Casting him and Michael Caine was ingenius. As a kid, I watched this movie multiple times in the 80s and it made me want to be a writer.

Time Trap (2017)

Fun movie. Go in with low expectations...

[6/10 · 3 January 2022]

It's low budget, so expect it to feel low budget. But the story is fun and I have to admit I would love to see a big budget remake of this. Just please don't cast The Rock in it.

Stay Close (2021)

Convoluted and gets dumber as it goes along

[6/10 · 1 January 2022]

The first three episodes are good, but it rapidly starts going downhill once you reach the "people doing stupid things just to drive the plot" stage, and it gets even worse when you get to the "defiant teen thinks she's super smart" stage. And don't forget the random, happy, dancing assassin couple.

So, so stupid. I'm on episode 5 and about to press the eject button. I don't think there's any way I can make it any further.

Paranoid (2016)

Initial episodes are really good, but...

[4/10 · 27 December 2021]

This show just gets dumber and more convoluted as it goes along. I'm on episode 8 now and it has completely gone off the rails. It's just so dumb and implausible, and I'm angry at myself for committing this much time to it.

I rated it a 5 only because the first few episodes were good and intriguing, but I warn you that it rapidly worsens.

Clickbait (2021)

Main character is unbelievably annoying

[4/10 · 25 December 2021]

This show is hard to watch. It's intriguing, but Pia is so incredibly, mind-numbingly annoying, it's a tough slog. Not sure I can make it the rest of the way through the show. Hopefully, it gets better. The premise is interesting, so we'll see how it goes.

EDIT: I've slogged through it all. I should update this to say that no only is Pia annoying, at least half of the other characters are incredibly annoying. The premise was interesting enough to keep watching, especially after I had invested some time into it, but it just keeps getting dumber and more convoluted.

I'll Follow You Down (2013)

If the Hallmark channel did scifi...

[5/10 · 22 December 2021]

This movie has some good actors, but the acting is just not good. The dialogue is bad. Everything about it is contrived and formulaic. The premise is good, but it would need to be rewritten by a better screenwriter and directed by someone else. As it is, it's scifi that feels like it should be on Hallmark or Lifetime.

Outlander: The Hail Mary (2016) Season 2, Episode 12

Graham McTavish owns this episode

[10/10 · 1 December 2021]

There are so many fantastic performances in this episode, but the ultimate is Graham McTavish. In the scene with Colum and Dougal, McTavish demonstrates perhaps the best acting of the entire series. Incredibly moving.

The Wheel of Time: Leavetaking (2021) Season 1, Episode 1

Simpy uninteresting

[5/10 · 30 November 2021]

My review is admittedly based on only a partial viewing. I watched 15-20 minutes of it and I'm bored out of my mind. It looks pretty low budget. I'm surprised a bit more effort wasn't put into it. I should say I've never read the books, so I had no expectations other than that it would probably be good. It's really not. The first episode of Game of Thrones was basically the template for introducing a complex story in an interesting way. Looks like the screenwriters for this show didn't pay attention.

I suspect people who have read the books might like this show, but nothing about this first episode is grabbing me at all.

The Guilty (2021)

It's okay, but I recommend the original

[5/10 · 18 November 2021]

This is a pretty typical Hollywood remake that takes a good foreign film, then ramps up the melodrama and overacting. The scenes are essentially the same as in the original, but the dialogue is more over-the-top. Jake is a fantastic actor but he overdoes it a bit here.

It's definitely not bad, but if you have access to the original, I recommend that one instead.

Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Watermelon (2021) Season 11, Episode 4

Absolutely hilarious

[9/10 · 17 November 2021]

I haven't watched Curb since it originally aired many years ago. I happened to catch this episode and watched to see if the show was still funny. It was. Ridiculously, hilariously funny.