planktonrules Reviews

Thunderbolts* (2025)

Filled with surprises I'm NOT going to tell you about in this review.

[9/10 · 2 May 2025]

"Thunderbolts*" is the newest Marvel Universe film and I was lucky enough to see it before most others, as I was in Hollywood during its premier at the El Capitan Theatre. There are many surprises in it...especially at the end...and Marvel fans should be very happy with the surprises as well as the rest of this film. All I know is that the theater was abuzz by the time the film ended and we all got to see the costumes worn by the actors in the movie.

This story picks up after the Avengers are no more and there are no heroes left...supposedly. Instead, the film concentrates on the 'losers'...those who aren't exactly heroes and are generally disliked. However, the evil head of the CIA has plans on killing them...as her using these misfits sure won't help her image now that Congress is ready to take action against her. But there is one more tool...an unexpected one named 'Bob'. Who is he and how do these misfits all fit together? See the film.

This is a very good movie...and I generally dislike superhero films because there have been so many. But this one seems fresh, well acted and a bit cheeky at times...and is sure to make the uber-fans happy. Well made and fun.

Sinners (2025)

I mostly scored this one so high because it's so original.

[9/10 · 1 May 2025]

I think several genres have been way overdone, such as superhero films and vampire movies. After all, after a while it feels like if you've seen one, you've seen them all. However, "Sinners" proves there are exceptions...and in this case they've come up with a dandy vampire pic because it is so different and original.

At this point, the movie is in its second week as the #1 movie in the USA...so I don't intend to do a lengthy review...as there are soon to be tons of reviews. What I will say is that the film has a great soundtrack with some nice old jazz and the acting is quite good. My only complaints are minor...it's NOT a film for kids or families due to the violence level and sexuality in the movie..though because it's rated R, you'd have an idiot to show it to small kids! Still, it's a nice change of pace for a relatively tired genre.

The Fish Thief: A Great Lakes Mystery (2025)

Apart from some horrendous CGI, a very good film.

[7/10 · 26 April 2025]

I tend to cut independent and documentary films some slack when it comes to CGI. After all, the films aren't high budgeted and you need to make some allowances for this. However, there is a bit of CGI in this film which is terrible...so terrible it looks like it was made in 2000 or earlier. It's a shame, as the CGI scenes weren't really needed...but you can't help but be taken aback by how primitive they are.

That being said...this is still a very good documentary. Its purpose is to discuss two major problems the Great Lakes faced back in the 1950s-60s...sea lamprays and alewives...two saltwater species that somehow made it into the freshwater lakes. Most of the film is about the lampreys and their devastating effect on lake trout and, to a lesser extent, Whitefish. How the US and Canada eventually managed to reduce their numbers and create a better fishery is the subject of the movie. It does not, by the way, talk about the polution in the lakes (which has also been significantly reduced) or the state of fishing apart from salmon and trout. You'd never know it, but the yellow perch, smallmouth bass, and walleye in Lake Erie, for instance, are doing extraodinarlily well. But I am not faulting the film...in the time they had they had to pick what to focus on most. These are other success stories that other movies can address.

Overall, it's a very good movie...well made and surprisingly interesting. And, a rare case where fisheries have made HUGE rebounds thanks to technology and a lot of hard work.

Ms. Marvel (2022)

It starts off wonderfully...but then loses its way.

[6/10 · 23 April 2025]

The first few episodes of "Ms. Marvel" are wonderful. After all, the hero, Kamala, is a very normal and likable teen with seemingly normal teenage issues. And, given that she's a Pakistani-American, you get a nice look into the culture...something you rarely see except when terrorism is involved. The normalization of these folks is nice to see...and you might learn a bit seeing how these Muslim people live here in the States.

When the show goes to Karachi, Pakistant and then returns to America...the quality slips drastically. Instead of focusing on people and culture, it becomes almost non-stop action and special effects. But in the process, so many questions are left unanswered...such as WHO are these two factions fighting each other and WHY?? And, the same can be said for the fascist-like US government agency. They certainly aren't SHIELD and their motivation is difficult to discern in this post-Civil War era. And what about the big villainess...her actions as she left the show were so confusing and left me baffled...like a HUGE scene was missing.

Overall, not a bad show but one which could have used a couple more episodes to create a smoother pace and answer unanswered questions. I'd like to see more "Ms. Marvel"...just one that is easier to follow and understand.

Hawkeye (2021)

I don't particularly love superhero movies but I enjoyed this one.

[7/10 · 22 April 2025]

I should point out that I am not a big fan of superhero movies. Some time ago, I simply felt I'd seen too many and it's not surprising due to the many DC and Marvel superhero movies and TV shows there have been over the last few decades. I know many can watch them and only want more, but that isn't me. However, my daughter enjoys the genre and so to be a nice dad, I watched "Hawkeye" with her. Fortunately, even for a curmudgeon like me, the show is enjoyable.

Considering there are almost 1000 reviews for the show, I'm not going to write a long review. Suffice to say I enjoyed most of the characters and their adventures. Not a lifechanging show but one that is pleasant and worth seeing...even if Hawkeye clearly is one of the lesser heroes.

Black Widow (2021)

Pretty much non-stop fighting and action.

[6/10 · 21 April 2025]

My advice if you watch "Black Widow" is to just turn your brain off and enjoy. It's a non-stop, action-packed movie where 'the rule of cool' is more important than physics or logic. Now I am not saying don't see the movie....you may well like it. But I'm just pointing out that even for a Marvel film, it's insanely frenetic and hasn't got a lot of plot.

The movie follows Natasha Romanoff's journey from her bizarrely inappropriate childhood to her ultimate showdown with the film's baddie. Oddly, her adventures with the Avengers are skipped...like the middle of the story is missing. The end is much like a more action-packed James Bond film where there's a bloody confrontation with the megalomaniacal genius.

So is it good? Well, that's hard to say. The action is great...simply amazing. The story, while scant, is pretty interesting. But the logic...well, it's pretty much non-existent. So, as I said before, just turn off your brain and enjoy.

Murder Once Removed (1971 TV Movie)

Incredibly hard to believe...but worth seeing.

[7/10 · 19 April 2025]

I agree with one of the reviewers that said this made for TV movie is much like "Columbo"...without Columbo! It's mostly because unlike many murder mysteries, you see how the killer does it from start to finish.

Dr. Wellesley (John Forsythe) is NOT an especially ethical doctor. Not only is he having an affair with one of his patients, but he apparently has a LONG history of killing patients who get in his way. So, it's not at all surprising when he decides to kill his lover's husband...especially since the husband knows that Doctor's past. But how...how will the Doc kill this husband and how does he plan on getting away with it?

This is a film where you just need to accept for what it is and not worry about how improbable it all is...especially at the end where there are multiple twists. But despite it all, it IS entertaining...which is what really counts.

Visions... (1972 TV Movie)

A blessing...or a curse?

[9/10 · 19 April 2025]

Back in the 1970s, the major networks made a ton of made for TV movies...and some of them hold up very well today. One of the better ones is "Visions..."...a really interesting and tense supernatural thriller.

Professor Lowell (Monte Marcum) is a brilliant man...a graduate of MIT even. But he also has another talent..precognition. These glimpses of the near future might seem like a great thing...but they are also a curse. One day he begins seeing images of a bomber planting these devices all over Denver. He knows one of them is going to go off soon and he goes to the police. However, the police lieutenant (Telly Savalas...a year before becoming Lieutenant Kojak) thinks Lowell is either a nut...or he's planting the bombs himself. But try as he might, the Lieutenant can't prove Lowell did anything wrong. In fact, his grilling and testing Lowell shows that he can, indeed, see the future...at least in bits and pieces. So what's next? See the film...and it's currently posted on YouTube.

The acting and especially the script are excellent. While I don't believe in these sorts of things, the film does a great job of making you forget these doubts and makes you feel for Lowell and his 'gift'. Well worth seeing and a heck of a good movie from start to finish.

Oppenheimer (I) (2023)

Well made...but not exactly an enjoyable film.

[8/10 · 19 April 2025]

By any standard, "Oppenheimer" was a wildly successful film. After all, it was a huge box office draw AND earned several Oscars...including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor. So, I am not saying it's a bad film...it isn't. But it's also a film I didn't love.

The film is about the career of J. Robert Oppenheimer from his days before WWII to his losing his security clearance and fading into relative obscurity. To tell this story, it bounced back and forth in time and uses very rapid edits and tense music...to the point where I found myself respecting the movie but also not enjoying it very much. To me, I think it is very good...just not quite as good as all the hype would imply. Well worth watching...but I probably would have preferred a different style...such as a more linear film. But of course, with all the money and prestige the film has...who am I to complain about these small details?

The Marcus-Nelson Murders (1973 TV Movie)

This made for TV movie is sad, since it's based on a real case.

[9/10 · 19 April 2025]

"The Marcus-Nelson Murders" is a made for TV movie set in the summer of 1963 that turned out to be the pilot for "Kojak". It's based on a real case, 'The Career Girl Murders' of Emily Hoffert and Janice Wylie, though names and a few other details have been changed. The film details the investigation as well as the misconduct by the New York Police Department, as the accused was denied his rights to an attorney and was forced into confessing for a crime he did not commit. This is a fact, as the real killer was eventually caught and later confessed to the crime...though the falsely accused man was also sent to prison for several years! The injustice of the case helped lead to the landmark Miranda Decision in 1966.

The story begins with two young women being attacked and viciously murdered by a psycho with a knife. One was also raped.

You never see who he is and the film shows the case from the standpoint of the police department...as well as from the investigator, Lieutenant Kojack (the name was changed to 'Kojak' for the TV series). Over time, he starts to wonder if the confession was infact coerced and if the young man is being victimized. Naturally, the Department is not thrilled with Kojack's actions and they just want him to just drop his inquiry...especially the prosecutor.

If you are expecting something like "Kojak", you'll probably be disappointed. Aside from Telly Savalas and a brief scene where George Savalas plays a reporter, the cast is entirely different from the TV show. This isn't good nor bad...it's just different. And, it's generally a very good film. My only quibble is a very small one...everything looks like 1973 instead of 1963...such as clothing and hairstyles.

By the way, this film came out the same year as "Serpico"...a true film about corruption within the New York Police Department.

Kojak: Unwanted Partners (1975) Season 2, Episode 22

A Crockercentric episode.

[7/10 · 18 April 2025]

So far in "Kojak", the various cops working for Kojak have been little more than accessories...with little, if any, backstory or personalities. This episode is unusual then because it features Detective Crocker. It seems he grew up with a guy who, over the years, has gone very differently in his life than Crocker. Instead of becoming a cop or an upstanding member of the community, he's developed a criminal record of mostly petty crimes. However, it now appears as if this 'nice guy' has changed drastically...and leads a group of muscle who shake down bar owners...and very violently so. But Crocker can't bring himself to believe that his old friend has gone THAT wrong...which hinders his objectivity significantly.

This is a decent episode though it ends very well. Not a great episode (Crocker does seem amazingly naive for a cop) but still well worth seeing.

Kojak: The Goodluck Bomber (1975) Season 2, Episode 21

A surprisingly original episode.

[9/10 · 18 April 2025]

Several weird bombings have occurred around New York City that have the police stumped. In each case, the bomber has left notes taunting the police about upcoming bombings. And, the bombs that the police have found are VERY complicated and have stumped the Bomb Squad...resulting in a detonation which killed the cop trying to disarm the bomb. However, a guy with a criminal record and amazing skills as making and disarming bombs offers to help the police. But Kojak suspects there's way more to the story than this. Watch and see what I mean.

The plot is truly unique and exciting. It's among the better episodes of season 2...and is well worth seeing.

Kojak: Elegy in an Asphalt Graveyard (1975) Season 2, Episode 20

For me, a tad too schmaltzy.

[6/10 · 18 April 2025]

This is an episode that you might like much more than I did. I thought it was generally good but the singing by Telly Savalas at the beginning and end was just too much...bordering on the schmaltzy.

The episode begins with some hired goons breaking into an apartment. Soon, she's discovered dead...hanging by an apparent suicide. But those who know her, particularly Kojak, know she wouldn't have taken her own life. So, despite being a very professional job...things just didn't add up and it's eventually seen as a possible murder. And, since Kojak liked her...he's taken the case very personally.

I thought the episode was generally good...and I might have scored it a 7 or 8...until the final credits began to roll and Savalas sang the song...one very heavyhanded and unnecessary.

Kojak: Night of the Piraeus (1975) Season 2, Episode 19

Philately for fun and profit.

[9/10 · 18 April 2025]

The episode begins with a freighter arriving at the port. Two groups of people are there waiting for one of the passengers....though one group has no idea the other exists. Once the man passes customs, his girlfriend meets him. But their relationship is soon cut short when she maces him and one of her confederates shoots the man dead and steals his belt. Why the belt? Well, it turns out a super-rare stamp is inside the buckle...and the other group expecting to get the stamp are maced for their trouble! Soon, bodies pile up and the man responsible for all this is expecting a $1,000,000 pay off!

This is a very good episode...even if the super-valuable stamp is fictional (the German stamp in the show isn't especially rare). I really liked the ending...it was very fitting and think it tied everything together very well.

By the way, the Greek song you hear was sung by Telly's brother, George. George (also billed as 'Demosthenes') plays the sloppy detective Kojak makes fun of on many occasions.

Kojak: Queen of the Gypsies (1975) Season 2, Episode 18

One of the best...even if it's not politically correct.

[9/10 · 18 April 2025]

"Queen of the Gypsies" is an exceptionally good episode. However, since it debuted, times have changed and nowadays talking negatively about Gypsies (now referred to as the 'Roma' or 'Romani") isn't so acceptable. Regardless, it's good and offers a few amazing twists at the end.

A con artist is trying to pass counterfeit money in a bank. Coincidentally, the bank is held up at the same time...and the con artist is nearly shot by them. One unfortunate guy IS shot...dead at her feet. Since she's the only one who saw who one of the killers was, the police bring her in for questioning. But she's really not interested in helping the cops, after all the Roma traditionally distrust police, but she's interested in finding the gang and assisting them in their next heist!! But a LOT happens...so much so you need to watch this amazing show.

The writing is THE star of this one. Wonderfully written and an episode which really surprised me with the twists. Well worth seeing....no...a must see!

Kojak: Acts of Desperate Men (1975) Season 2, Episode 17

This one just didn't make a lot of sense to me.

[6/10 · 18 April 2025]

I noticed that at least one other reviewer gave this one a 10...so they really loved it. As for me, however, I thought it was okay since parts of the story just didn't make a lot of sense to me.

One evening, as a nasty rich guy is going over his books with his accountaint, shots ring out and the boss is shot dead right in front of his employee! It seems someone with a rifle killed the guy...and it was personal. The accountant finds out his boss was a crook and he seems to actually think his death was rather cool. Later, the killer reveals himself to the accountaint...and instead of turning him in, he helps him. Even later, the killer is shot dead by Kojak...and the accountant inexplicably decides to take the rifle and use it on other people on the dead man's list...plus Lieutanant Kojak.

As I said above, this one just didn't make a ton of sense. Why would the accountant bond so quickly with the killer and why would he continue the guy's work? I have no idea...but it is an enjoyable episode regardless.

Kojak: Close Cover Before Killing (1975) Season 2, Episode 16

Alex Rocco plays, what else, a total jerk!

[7/10 · 18 April 2025]

Alex Rocco plays a guy who wants to burn down his business for the insurance money. The problem is that his partner is NOT in agreement with this and so he impulsively bashes his partner over the head...killing him. He then tries to make it look like it was an accident before leaving his office and going somewhere while the fire is being set in order to have an alibi. But Lieutenant Kojak's instincts tell him that the death and the fire are two separate crimes...and he's determined to bring both perpetrators to justice.

This is a very good episode...and it's about average for this excellent series. But Rocco plays an excellent slimy villain...which elevates the episode just a bit.

Kojak: Loser Takes All (1974) Season 2, Episode 15

Kojak the indestructible!

[7/10 · 17 April 2025]

"Loser Takes All" is an unusual episode, as Lt. Kojak is shot. Naturally, being the title character of the show, you know he'll survive. Still...he was shot!

Michael Hagar (Leslie Nielsen) is a master criminal who only pulls big heists every few years...otherwise he hangs out on the beaches in Jamaica. The police learn about this through one of their snitches (Antonio Fargas...playing his usual sort of character). But by then, he's already killed and seems more than ready to kill again in order to complete a diamond heist.

This is a most unusual episode simply because of the shooting...and because although shot in the chest, Kojak is up and investigating the case amazingly fast! An interesting story and interesting villain...worth seeing.

Kojak: The Betrayal (1974) Season 2, Episode 14

A stoolie playing two ends against the middle.

[8/10 · 17 April 2025]

The diminutive Paul Anka plays a man fittingly named 'Maus' ('mouse' in German). He's a stoolie who has been feeding Detective Calucci information and thereby Calucci has been making some very high profile busts. However, what Calucci doesn't realize is that Maus isn't helping him out of the goodness of his heart....he's using Calucci to eliminate his competition. What's worse, the rat-like Maus has a big mouth and was overheard telling folks he's got a cop 'in the bag'. Surely this situation isn't going to end well...and Kojak is worried Calucci might be either on the take or incredibly dumb.

Anka is really good here. Considering he's known as a singer-composer, he manages to play a suitably slimy guy. An interesting plot...with a pretty unusual ending...make this one worth seeing.

Kojak: Cross Your Heart and Hope to Die (1974) Season 2, Episode 13

A sick woman with a 'Norman Batesian' neighbor.

[8/10 · 17 April 2025]

"Cross Your Heart and Hope to Die" is an episode clearly influenced by the movie "Psycho". There are just too many similarities for it not to be based, in part, on the Hitchcock film.

A young woman is out on a date when the guy is stabbed to death by an unknown assailant. Now, it isn't that the woman didn't see the killing. No, instead she is mentally ill and her mind is a bit scrambled and she cannot fully recall the events. Because of this, Kojak is very sensitive towards the woman and her fragile emotional state. His hope is that given time and gentle prodding he can get her to recall the events of the night.

What no one realizes is that the killer is the lady's trusted neighbor. This trusted 'friend' turns out to be a real wacky guy...much sicker than the lady. After all, most folks don't go around murdering people, dressing up like their mother, and spying on others. Can Kojak stop this Norman Bates-like guy before he kills yet again?

While this episode is very tough to believe when you think about it, it IS very entertaining. Plus, seeing the killer dressed up like mommy is something you just have to see! Strangely entertaining.

Kojak: The Best War in Town (1974) Season 2, Episode 12

The crooks are so sophisticated, they have a magical changing car!!

[6/10 · 17 April 2025]

In an opening scene, you see some hoods trying to escape in a brown Chevy Nova. After running over a woman, the car speeds away...and is now a black car...and one much larger than a Nova! Apparently, these crooks have a magical changing car...and I'm surprised this isn't listed on the Goofs section for this episode. Watch it...see what I mean.

A rookie cop (Mark Shera) is about to start his first day on the force...and he accidentally walked in on three mobsters about to murder someone! They attack him and run...and on the way from him giving chase, they run over a woman. Now the rookie is in trouble, as he discharged his gun several times and it might have violated departmental rules. What's worse, the man he saved won't talk at all and claims nothing happened! Apparently some sort of weird gang war is about to begin.

This is a fair episode. I say fair because I thought Kojak's reaction to the rookie was odd....too nasty, and too tough to be realistic with a guy on his first day on the job. Perhaps I'm wrong...but it just felt odd.

By the way, this sort of role wasn't too unusual for Shera in the 70s. He also starred on the cop show"SWAT" and the private eye show "Barnaby Jones".

Kojak: A Killing in the Second House (1974) Season 2, Episode 11

Martin Balsam plays a real creep!

[9/10 · 17 April 2025]

Ray Kaufman (Martin Balsam) is a real piece of work. This guy used to be a detective with the New York police but was fired for taking a bribe. Now, he makes money as a private eye....and a very corrupt one. He has been hired to follow a man and has taken a lot of suggestive photos...though the man was NOT carrying on an affair and the photos were taken out of context. But when Kaufman approaches the man to demand a payoff for the photos, the man instead kills himself! But Kaufman is first and foremost a mercenary jerk...so he conspires with the dead man's business manager to make the death appear to be a murder committed by an unknown robber. This way, the widow will be able to collect insurance on her dead husband. Can Kojak unravel what is happening here? Well, considering he knows and strongly dislikes Kaufman, it's likely he'll eventually fiture this all out for himself.

This was a particularly enjoyable episode because Kaufman was horrible...and as the episode progressed he turned out to me more and more terrible. He and his wife are an awful pair...and make the show pretty exciting. Additionally, Kojak's little speech at the end...classic! Overall, a very good episode...one you'll want to see.

Kojak: A Souvenir from Atlantic City (1974) Season 2, Episode 10

A very timely episode...believe it or not.

[7/10 · 17 April 2025]

The plot to "A Souvenir from Atlantic City" might seem very farfetched today, but in the 1970s it was VERY timely. This is because in the 70s, two Puerto Rican separatist groups committed many bombings throughout the United States...particularly in New York City. The purpose of the bombings was to gain independence for Puerto Rico...though most Puerto Ricans did NOT support this violent movement.

The story begins with a bombing at a bowling alley. Two off-duty cops just happened to be there...and they, and several others, are killed. Kojak is determined to get the men responsible. However, the trail leads to a man who is a police informant...and the man controlling him is very hesitant to cooperate.

This is a decent episode, though the informant in the show is a bit stupid....no...a lot stupid. This is a minor weakness in an otherwise decent episode which reminds us just how volatile the 1970s were.

Kojak: The Best Judge Money Can Buy (1974) Season 2, Episode 9

Stavros...the action hero!

[9/10 · 17 April 2025]

When the story begins, a judge is murdered and it's made to look like a suicide. Little by little, you learn that the murder was done in order to get to his father, who is also a judge. Apparently, the father is basically an honest man...but he also has a soft spot for the son and making the son's corruption will be too much for him. Then, using tapes as leverage, the plan is to force the father to grant bail to a mobster who is clearly intending to flee the country. Will this complicated plan work out and will Kojak and his men manage to unravel it in time?

The is one huge reason to watch this particular episode. While throughout the series you hear Kojak repeatedly make fun of Detective Stavros, here Stavros is a major action hero in one scene...and it was was very exciting to watch. The other thing that makes this interesting is that Stavros was played by Telly Savalas' brother, George!

Apart from Stavros being a major hero, the plot, though complicated, is exceptional and it's a very good episode...one well worth your time.

Kojak: You Can't Tell a Hurt Man How to Holler (1974) Season 2, Episode 8

Innocent...but kind of dumb!

[7/10 · 17 April 2025]

When the episode begins, a hood (Roger Mosley of "Magnum PI" fame) shooting a politician. However, another man comes upon the bleeding man and is seen by others...and it's assumed he shot the guy. Unfortunately, the accused is black and he has a strong distrust of the police...and throughout the episode he makes many dopey decisions which make him look even guiltier. But Kojak sees through this and assumes there is a different shooter...but convincing the court and the accused of this isn't going to be easy.

This is a pretty standard episode...not one of the better ones nor one of the worse. Given the quality of the show, this is NOT a bad thing and even an average episode is well worth your time.