JasonBelle Reviews

Brats (2024)

Great watch, grew up dead center in that era

[8/10 · 13 June 2024]

Obviously this film will be a bit divisive, but I think it was very courageous by AM. For those of us born between say 67 (66?) and 71 (72?) it brought many visceral reactions. Yeah, maybe AM's project was in and of itself "bratty", but so what. After hearing Blum out as well as the others it's kind of an "all's fair in love and war" theme. He was a young journalist building a career and it was within the bounds of what makes America great. AM isn't being any nicer here. Even if you deem AM's project a whine fest, if it earns him new looks from Hollywood and/or the public, good for him.

Here's the thing though - both my older and younger siblings were born just outside the 67-71 timeframe, the "brat pack" films didn't have nearly the same impact as they did with me and the group I with which I grew up (68-70). Same will be true with AM's project. More importantly, not a single one of us read the article... Still haven't. Until I watched this film I had absolutely no idea the "brat pack" moniker had anything very negative associated with it. No one, not even people who were in high school in suburbs of Chicago in the mid 80s can really wax intelligent prose on this whole debate if they didn't see each of the films at the theater in their day AND read the entire, original article.

I thought it was enjoyable to watch, so the guys I did a lot of dumb things with in the mid 80s.

We Don't Deserve Dogs (2020)

Not at all what it claims to be about

[3/10 · 17 March 2024]

If they would change title of this film to "Some of the most horrible tragedies in human history and how their survivors deserve dogs", I'd give it a better rating. This isn't this sweet PG film for dog lovers, and before you think that's the case and watch it with your children... DON'T.

If they would change title of this film to "Some of the most horrible tragedies in human history and how their survivors deserve dogs", I'd give it a better rating. This isn't this sweet PG film for dog lovers, and before you think that's the case and watch it with your children... DON'T.

If they would change title of this film to "Some of the most horrible tragedies in human history and how their survivors deserve dogs", I'd give it a better rating. This isn't this sweet PG film for dog lovers, and before you think that's the case and watch it with your children... DON'T.

Dream Scenario (2023)

Great message horrible movie

[2/10 · 23 February 2024]

Not worth your time or one penny unless you're one to applaud today's "safe spaces" and delicate sensitivities. In the beginning, I thought finally a story that openly mocks mob mentality and the younger generation's penchant for believing whatever information that gets the most hits or views. But it's agonizing and just plain absurd (despite great acting). The film should be mandatory punishment e-bullies, awful journalists...and racists for that matter...any group of shallow minded people who think their collective perception is the same as reality. Alternatively, give this movie a shot if you're just in too good a mood. Let's say you've had a great week...been a good parent, productive at work, showed kindness to others, got some exercise...if you wake up one day and just think to yourself "I really need a bad day, I'd like to be angy, I'd like to feel like I climbed out on a tree branch riddled with thorns only to have it break and snap three bones when I hit the earth"...then watch this movie..

The Wall (II) (2017)

Barely watchable even if you like failed endings

[2/10 · 8 February 2024]

At a given it one but it deserves two because there is some decent acting. That said, boring, depressing irritating and pretty much pointless. Every once in a while you get an artist with a Hobbesian bent... paraphrasing.ftom memory "life is nasty brutish and short", then you get paintings considered creative that are just a canvas with black paint. Or a composer who wants to call life's most irritating sounds, or even silence, music. That's what this movie felt like to me, painfully slow, painfully fabricated to deliver a painfully unhappy ending. So if you wake up one day and just feel like you've had too many bright and and enjoyable days in a row, watch this movie, which was probably conceived by someone who hasn't spent much time out of a basement in a long time.

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

1+1+1+1+1=3

[3/10 · 6 January 2024]

Another example of a bunch of Hollywood movie stars hoping whatever they pray to opens the gates when it's their time. Even more so with respect to reviewers and critics giving really high ratings out of pity and obligation. The >= 7 star ratings undoubtedly based on content, history and mob mentality. As a film, it is not good. Way too long, boring, poorly chosen actors for key roles, poor editing, etc. The most intelligent and unique critique I can add is hard to put into words, but I'll describe it as the opposite of synergy. All the parts of this movie seem worthwhile, a tragic and true story, a great director and fantastic actors in their "sweet spot" roles. All of which added up to a long, dull, insulting mess as movie.

The Musketeers (2014–2016)

Slightly entertaining to irritatingly stupid

[6/10 · 4 January 2024]

It was a little bit entertaining it first but fell apart through the usual cliches. The bad guy it's almost no support gets away with everything the good guys get away with nothing blah blah blah. No credit giving to any of the good guys for saving the country, always the underdogs. Like the IMF, Tom Cruise and his crew always facing the infamous disavowed status after having saved the world time and time again. Around halfway through season 2 I started pressing the 10 seconds forward rapidly wishing Hulu had the same ability Netflix has to just get through something faster with 1.5x. To get through season 3 I probably picked 3, 30 second intervals in 1st couple episodes and probably didn't miss a thing. Three generations in a row, the king of a major country has an absolutely evil and corrupt number 2 who somehow gets away with anything and everything is little evil heart desires. This time the bad guy he was a cliche of a cliche. Skipped most episodes entirely, will go straight to the final just to see the greasy, long haired, eavesdropping, infinitely slippery bad guy who appeared from nowhere while also being the king's brother get killed.

Banished (2015)

just rip through it with ff

[5/10 · 12 December 2023]

The only reason I blew right through it in a couple days by pounding the ff button is to get a few ideas on what exactly to Wiki to learn more about the real history. To that extent it was helpful (years, groups, military units assigned originally, "natives", locations, etc.). As far as the show goes, they sure made a soap opera of it. But holy HELL was the ending horrible. Not because of who lives or dies or why, I couldn't have cared less really. The actor who plays Elizabeth absolutely destroyed whatever feeling they were trying to embed in my opinion. The wailing and crying like a newborn baby was so irritating and overacted... so far from what a real person would do or look like, I turned it off and didn't look back.

Sicario (2015)

Could have been great if not for an irritating blunt character

[6/10 · 14 November 2023]

Had she not overacted and the writers overwritten and unfathomable unrealistic left-wing garbage driven character, this could have been a great movie. But they had to ruin a big victory. Her character could never have gotten where she got without being career driven and creative. Instead she spends half the movie crying, moping, complaining, as if she's been victimized herself. You poor thing. Like the part where she gets angry that she wasn't kept in the loop. I suppose I should go back and give it more stars with the caveat don't pay attention to that part of the storyline, because it's stupid. Hollywood driven left wing crap. Everyone else was so good, so if you can neutralize the blunt character, it's a nine. More than many very very bad people died horrible deaths. As is fitting for those that produce and distribute drugs on that scale and are responsible for so many innocent people's deaths.

A Spy Among Friends (2022)

Brilliant

[9/10 · 23 September 2023]

I have written quite a few awful reviews here, criticizing media junkie crap and the companies that produce it and push it out there like narcotics dealers. That said, I can probably count on one hand a few series of given a 9 or a 10. A Spy Among Friends Is magnificent: the casting is perfect and the actors should well deserve top awards for their performances. Even the directing, which is sometimes hard to get a feel for even with good films, was outstanding. The way the overall story was told (sort of back and forth with scenes and time), the camera angles, and just the general discomfort one feels while watching this series to emulate what it was like for the characters...a testament to the directing and crew. It is a very interesting story told in a very mature and intellectual way. Bravo to MGM for producing such a profound and captivating series in 2022. I'm sure they knew they would get some pushback from the mob who "binge" watch anything on a top 10 list to satisfy habits and cravings (and complain about battery life of course).

Condor (2018–2020)

On and on and on

[3/10 · 4 September 2023]

On and on and on On and on and on On and on and on. On and on and on On and on and on On and on and on. Evil Republicans start a world war to save the world. Greedy capitalists snorting coke and partying with women. God damn if ithis isn't cliche by now. Left saves all. Mob mentality multiplying itself through media consumption. Hypocritical, they all raise their prices every other month. I thought this show was pretty good for the first episode, the second episode started falling apart then I just fast forwarded knowing the bad guys would get away with everything until halfway through the final episode or so I'm pretty sure I was right. In the end the grand finale all it took to stop it was killing one man. I wanted to like this show it's just a more sophisticated drug for media junkies and mgm is the dealer. All that said it was well acted at times.

Season 2,. Same crap. Worse because the fascist deo dir of the CIA still has his job. The bad guy seem to have every resource available and use them easily including military vehicles and weaponry on American soil yada yada yada. The good guys painfully stupid, myopic, out played every turn. Ff to matter half of the final episode. This is just a shallow, borderline plagiaristic version of the Jack Ryan concept. Let's call it 5 minute abs.

The Rookie (2018– )

Bait and switch

[2/10 · 23 May 2023]

Some decent moments in the first few episodes I guess. Doesn't take long to realize it's an awfully written, low-IQ social "justice" platform. This one is particularly egregious, reproachable, and offensive. Shows like this make the matters they seem to care about worse. Some decent moments in the first few episodes I guess. Doesn't take long to realize it's an awfully written, low-IQ social "justice" platform. This one is particularly egregious, reproachable, and offensive. Shows like this make the matters they seem to care about worse. Some decent moments in the first few episodes I guess. Doesn't take long to realize it's an awfully written, low-IQ social "justice" platform. This one is particularly egregious, reproachable, and offensive. Shows like this make the matters they seem to care about worse.

MI-5: Love and Death (2004) Season 3, Episode 5

The episode that ended the interest for me

[1/10 · 18 March 2023]

This is a perfect example of writers writing the story how they wish professionals could be. Not unlike movies with wealthy individuals who earned their money giving it away. Or free healthcare. In this episode we are supposed to recognize that spies are human too. Great, yes, good point. But the writers regressed Zoe and Danny to middle school here so that the writers can somehow make a point to remind us that all life is valuable or something like that? God help us if spies are that reluctant. God help us if the people who hire and manage them are that inept to keep them for a week after botching the psychological evaluation(s) they must have gone through to get the job. Zoe's seasick character and the actress playing her were intolerable in this episode. Danny's "human side" ridiculous. A few episodes back Tom had a meltdown and that was bad enough, and with this happening shortly thereafter the show went from decent to unwatchable for me.

Luther: The Fallen Sun (2023)

Barely made it past 30 minutes

[1/10 · 10 March 2023]

This is as bad as bad can be. It's so repugnant I believe it almost violates the trust between movie producers and viewers that there ought to be something redeeming, even the tiniest little piece. There's nothing but insulting, disturbing rubbish to this film. And I was somewhat excited based on the Luther series, but this is just a "way too quickly written so the junkies out there can get more media in their veins" movie. ...I know I know, only in the movies right? Seriously though had I watched to the end I bet it would turn out that this grotesque villain is probably seeking revenge because his son or wife died in a fire 30 years ago. And he wants revenge on the entire world and the end the human race because of it. Justice, dammit. Demented as he is, somehow he's made a living that has earned him infinite financial resources to burn away real estate, infinite amounts of time and support to plan and execute multiple acts of terror, synchronized perfectly. Disgraced Luther must overcome his demons to be the hero, in this case successfully fighting through an entire prison of violent offenders. But just couldn't manage the one, meager bad guy. I suppose pushing boundaries is as inevitable as the expansion of the universe, louds will have to get louder, evil will have to get "eviler" to hook the next generation. In the meantime no thank you I will skip ahead 2 hours just to see how the bad guy dies.

PS big spoiler surprise (4 days later I took a minute to look at the end): bad guy drowns. You don't see it or feel it or even feel compelled to care too much because said bad guy is under water face up underneath some ice.

1923 (2022–2023)

Like the stock market 6 years later

[2/10 · 27 February 2023]

Crash and burn. What a terrible slip, fall, tumble and implosion. At it's best (end of episode 2) I was very curious about the era and how the show might help viewers understand what it felt like to live then / there (post Ind Rev / wild west, etc). I was also interested in the characters; in fact, mesmerized by the chemistry of Alex and the Dutton guy. The show had great promise; and then, like the Russian hockey team in 1980 and the Patriots in 2008 all that promise gone. Alex and what's his name became an awful caricature of themselves and their journey boring and ludicrous. The.story about the Native girl, whatever importance this might have in the future, I think the writers are definitely doing her an injustice by telling the story the way they are. Other increasingly boring facets are the evil, pathological rich white guy, the evil religious white guys, the evil rancher white guys, the evil Irish sheep guy... Crash and burn if you ask me, I couldn't care less what happens.

Mr. Robot (2015–2019)

then move, go suck another country dry

[2/10 · 1 February 2023]

The hypocrisy is unbearable. This show is and does EXACTLY what it.rambles on about in annoying voices, soundtrack and fabricated and out of context dribble. Fsociety. Give me a break. Everyone here who reviewed this show commending it's originality: people have been playing the victim for a very long time, hardly original. Free this, free that, yadda yadda yadda, I don't see USA network or Netflix handing out subscriptions to their idiotic, exploitative shows for free. They keep raising their prices as the mob jets further addicted media junk. I gave this repulsive trash just long enough to see Elliot bash everything on the Right, hate Trump hate America hate Britain blah blah blah, but it was worth it because it occurred to him that he and his sniveling, whining, criminal little band of thieves were perpetuating the problem. I liked that part because I'm hoping that's how all the "binging", victim-mentality people comprising the majority of Americans can see themselves. Shows like this, and the networks that make them aren't too different from any other entity that produces addictive substances. You pseudo intellectuals out there raving about Elliot the Underdog fell right into their trap. Be honest with yourselves: these networks OWN you. And for f-s sake if you hate the place where DOERS invented ALL the stuff you get your high on that much, then get the f out. Go suck another country dry.

The Forgiven (III) (2021)

Boring, annoying, pointless

[1/10 · 31 July 2022]

It wouldn't even be legal to make a prisoner of war watch this movie. It's torture, unforgivable torture. It's hard to even imagine a team of professionals and specialists in their final moment said we're done... It's good ...finally, it's good to go, because it's so damn awful.

Doctor Foster: A Woman Scorned (2015–2017)

all the makings of 9 but it's just not interesting

[5/10 · 2 June 2022]

Clicked the fwd 10 seconds over an over to finally just get through it. Well acted, well directed and filmed, decent music to go along with it. Alas, it's just not interesting. It's one of those storylines that could only exist in the fantasies of writers. By the 3rd ep or so I was thinking "cripes, who cares?" and started to ff 10 sec every second and I didn't miss anything.

Good Cop (2012)

Should have read reviews, painful lack of conclusion

[2/10 · 31 May 2022]

It wasn't too good in the first place, but the fact that viewers are left with festering curiosity is unacceptable. I should have reviewed reviews first.

Ozark (2017–2022)

Agonizing, hard not to respect though

[8/10 · 26 May 2022]

So many times I cringed. So many painful and unrealistic events in plot twists. But it's hard not to respect, it pulls you in and it's a constant envelope of tension. All that said, the best example in my opinion is Laura Linney's character of Wendy. Countless times I wanted to see her die painful death, just rotten to the core. She did such a good job acting her role that I might not be able to ever watch her in anything again. I suppose that's the greatest compliment one can offer an actor, it's just that Bateman did just as good of a job but his character is so much less detestable.

The Batman (2022)

Interminable, uninteresting, overwritten and overacted

[3/10 · 19 April 2022]

I think at one point during this interminably long movie we forgot we were watching it. Just keeps going on with the same stuff that worked years ago when it was new and somewhat interesting. Doubling up on the pointless and constant whispering when there's no reason to whisper, the world seemingly without a single visible source of light... Freakish bad guys insulting Ledger's legacy.... Made worse because they forgot to include any hint at all about how the Riddler could have possibly funded such an extravagant, long term plot to annihilate an entire city.

Shetland (2013– )

Bailed 1/2 thru s 3, tiny spoiler just read it

[6/10 · 5 March 2022]

Was going okay and I was genuinely interested in how season 3 would end. Halfway through the season Shetland started following all of today's political correct agendas and rules so I was losing interest. But I stopped on a dime at episode 6 when Perez went to talk to his boss's boss Phyllis.

His boss Rhona was over there because of course they are gay lovers, but Shetland stooped to the ultimate rotten bottom of TV show laziness related failures when she is seen eavesdropping by way of furtive glance from the other room. Don't give a s*** what happens anymore won't watch the future seasons either.

Yellowstone (2018– )

Started off interesting. Fell apart like most shows in season 2

[4/10 · 6 February 2022]

Typical formula - get a big name who does a great job (Costner), appeal to human nature then start sending your political messages. Let's all apologize for all the societies that have ever wronged another since the beginning of time. There, can we move on?

Secrets of the Zoo (2018– )

most enjoyable of its kind (imo of course)

[10/10 · 31 December 2021]

We enjoyed this so much I have given many similar shows a try since watching this. I find them all fascinating, but this one was also compelling. By that I mean I'd love to visit the Columbus Zoo and the Wilds after watching this show... meet the professionals etc. They make it impossible not to empathize with their animals, plights and travails. For example, we watched the episode with the beautiful white fox over a year ago and will never forget the emotional response we had. Had I watched "The Zoo" first, perhaps I'd be writing different reviews. But after watching a few others we haven't found ourselves hoping to visit the Bronx or Australia or San Diego any more or less, and of all places to feel compelled to visit, I would never have guessed Ohio would be included.

See (2019–2022)

how embarrassing

[1/10 · 13 September 2021]

Truly ridiculous. For those real go-getters when they aren't chain smoking zombie shows and asking for free health care from their dilapidated couches.

Cruella (2021)

Amazing film

[9/10 · 1 September 2021]

What a fantastic surprise. The story, cinematography, soundtrack, and the clever ideas put to screen and brought to life by remarkable writing and acting. The thing is, I couldn't care less about how it does or doesn't relate to previous films or cartoons. Erudite posers love to bash prequels, sequels and "based ons" simply because they themselves don't create much of anything. With their home-based "careers", they write their opinions on the same tablet that's still warm from watching the film. I read Seitz's "professional" critique (courtesy of RogerEbert dot bomb), and I thought to myself he couldn't possibly have watched the movie given how much time he spent trying to prove his own hypotheses. Said scholar references dozens of movies like the jerk at a party using name-dropping as a primary social skill...

I watched this film, Cruella. The film Cruella was really, really good.