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Reviews
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022)
Bravo! LOTR has returned in grand fashion! Epic!
I was a film buyer and worked with many studios in releasing tent pole films and one of the crowning jewels during that stint was working with NewLine in releasing the original PJ directed LOTR trilogy in Asia.
When LOTR ROTK swept the Oscars including top honors for best picture, I was there to celebrate with Peter Jackson, Sean Astin, Andy Serkis to name a few.
I believe my opinion carries a little bit more weight than your average viewer when I confidently proclaim that TROP is a triumph and a must see for Tolkien fans.
The naysayers are a small vocal minority and cherry picking. I applaud Amazon for putting this together so I could visit Middle Earth once again in my lifetime.
Seeing so many films having been in the industry, I count myself a tough critic but this series so far has produced moments that gave me absolute chills and emotions not felt since the original trilogy.
Were all the lines perfect and could have been better? Well yes but I barely noticed at all.
The visuals, score, cast and story are top notch especially for a tv serires and could easily be shown on Imax it's that stunning.
I would give it more than 10 stars but alas, 10 is the maximum allotted and worth every star.
Alita: Battle Angel (2019)
The 8 Wonders of the World (2019 edition)
1) The Taj Mahal, India.
2) Christ the Redeemer, Brazil.
3) Petra, Jordan.
4) The Great Wall of China.
5) The Colosseum, Rome.
6) Machu Picchu, Peru.
7) Chichen Itza, Mexico.
8) Alita Battle Angel, Robert Rodriguez/James Cameron.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)
Fantastic Yawns and Where to Find Them
Spoiler Free
J.K. Rowling should stick to writing novels. This whole affair is nothing but a huge money grab. This latest entry is a hollow shell devoid of any spirit and magic of the Potter world. In short, one fantastic yawn fest.
WB and co., you must be laughing all the way to the bank. This film is just one long 2 hour trailer. Personally, I found watching the trailer more interesting and best of all, it was free .
What made the Potter films endearing was the character development with the magic and CG as the supporting cast. You cared about the characters and were eager yet anxious about their journey in a magical world. It's the other way around in Beasts. After the first half, I couldn't wait to get away. I just hate it when I feel there was no sincere effort put forth. Yes, the wrapping looked nice but when I opened the box, I felt duped. As if on some amusement ride, the whole film was on rails and along the way, there would be occasional things that would pop up.
Don't be fooled by the current IMDb rating and glowing reviews both which are no doubt artificially inflated by the legions of Potter fans around the world. If you are a true fan then you should demand more than an illusion of what could have been. What a complete waste of the excellent cast who you could tell were just going through the motions but I blame it on the poor writing. Rowling must have written the whole thing during her 15 minute coffee break.
You know there's something amiss when some of the minor characters steal most of the spotlight or garner the most laughs- think Ice Age and that squirrel or Despicable Me and those minions. I wonder how this series can possibly be extended to 5 parts. The main problem is the film is now stuck with an unlikable cast moving forward.
WB and Rowling must take the fans to be fools or worse, they cast some dark magic that blinds them to donate money to this sorry excuse for a film. If you notice all the reviews on here, you can tell the film is quite polarizing. Most are either 10's or 1's. The fans vs everyone else not possessed by magic.
Resist the dark magic. Times are tough and your hard earned cash better spent elsewhere that is more deserving. Take it from me, a duped Star Wars fan- all the red flags are there. This film, this road. I know where it leads. And it's not to the promised land. If fantastic beasts is what you seek then this film is not where to find them.
Avatar (2009)
Been watching movies for over 30 years....
and been a reader of IMDb for quite some time as I am in the film industry but this is the first time I have ever felt compelled to giving my 2 cents worth as what I have witnessed in Avatar is not only a cinematic landmark but a technological benchmark as well. Previous sci-fi films made us dream of what it is like to see other worlds but this is the 1st film that succeeds literally in taking us there and is unlike no other. Star Wars was groundbreaking yes and I will always be grateful for the world it created and the unforgettable characters but surprisingly, it is more fantasy/ soap- opera than sci-fi...Avatar is actually well-grounded scientifically (go to aintitcool.com if you don't believe me as they actually got an astrophysicist to critique its scientific merits) and is as close as one can get (without buying a 1 million USD ticket to outerspace) to leaving our world and visiting another. All the haters out there simply have not seen this yet and those who were bothered by story and dialogue, I think that the brilliance IS in its simplicity- it's easily accessible by all ages and the characters speak like, guess what, you and me, the average person. I think this is the most important and relevant film of our lifetime as we are faced with serious issues that could well spell doom for our planet unless we reverse the greed over precious resources and start respecting our planet and all people of color. If there is one film I could recommend of all the films I have ever seen in the past 30 + years, this is the one. You will have not experienced anything else like it. Pandora is a character in itself. My hats off to JC for reaching for the stars and not letting naysayers keep him from realizing his dream of making this film. The CG and 3D was not used in a gimmicky way unlike all other 3D films in the past.
I just saw the latest Star Trek again on DVD and it pails in comparison..I never at any point in viewing Star Trek felt I was on the deck of the Enterprise or on Vulcan with Spock. Transformers and District 9 were great popcorn entertainment but no where in scale and quality or had a potent message as Avatar.
JC has figuratively invented fire or the wheel for the film industry and movie goers should rejoice that movie theaters can be relevant again if other studios follow suit and I for one am excited for this new 3D medium. Seen so much crap recently that most of it can just as easily be enjoyed at home on HD TV with a nice sound system but the Avatar experience is one that can only be fully enjoyed at the theater. Thanks JC for bringing back movie magic. Can you imagine what can now be possible with other sci-fi films, heck, all films if produced with this new technology? I can't wait.