jfirebug Reviews

Bullet Train (2022)

Odd reviews

[8/10 · 5 December 2022]

Not sure what movie people watched... its a action comedy, they aren't known to be life-altering. By comparison to others in the genre however this is one of the good ones. Great comedic timing, nicely choreographed fight scenes and camera work. A lot of reviews mention a Ritchie likeness, to me it seems like a mix of Ritchie and Tarantino (Kill Bill).

People balk to quickly about storylines, pacing, acting, sound, etc... because they are writing reviews right? That's what they are supposed to do... but like probably a lot of them, I'm not in the business, I'm a movie watcher so I review based on what I know. Was I entertained? Yes, I was.

I Am Not Okay with This (2020)

Why??

[8/10 · 15 October 2022]

Cancelled... so sad. This show had a lot of promise to it. It's amazing to me some of the shows Netflix chooses to continue on with and those they choose to cancel. Granted, it is of course all about money and I know not everyone would be into this show but by comparison there are some huge bombs that have somehow gotten a second season on Netflix. I think it boiled down to a lack of advertising on their part as to why this wasn't a bigger hit.

I was very interested in seeing where things went after the first season. I like to see super hero stories that go beyond towing the over-done and over-hyped archetype of Marvel. But, I guess we will have to wait for the next one to seep through the never-ending cycle of comic fandom releases. Until then The Boys rule the roost for me.

Monster (2022–2024)

Yet another sad sad attempt by Hollywood to revise history

[6/10 · 4 October 2022]

Well made? Yes. Well acted? Yes, all around. Entertaining? Yes... when it's not over-working itself to be socially woke. What bother me about this series is it tries tooo hard to create storylines that just aren't true. If Murphy wants to delve into true-life crime then he needs to work on not taking such EXCESSIVE liberties, especially when choosing someone who is so well documented.

There are so many inconsistencies to the truth here. I understand peppering a narrative with some extra drama to keep it interesting but this is beyond that to me. By the 7th or so episode it just got to be too much, although I did finish the series. The most compelling episode to me was the episode with Tony. Its a shame more time was not spent on the victims.

I believe real true-crime fans would have preferred a more realistic approach to this story. If you want to embellish I to this extent, create your own serial killer and base him off Dahmer. Oh and stop with the time jumping, in this case it did you zero favors and made very little impact to the story.

Resident Evil (2022)

Low rates are from kids

[5/10 · 19 July 2022]

I'm mainly writing this because the low ratings are absurd, childish and they are ruining what is good about IMDB. A few of their points are valid but it's really not nearly as bad as these reviewers claim.

I've only watched 3 episodes so far and I was a little worried during the first episode that I wasn't going to get to episode 2 but I did and so far each episode is better than the last. It does at times seem a little teenish and B movie at times... like the giant bugs (could do without) and the high school stuff. Yes, I was hoping for more of a I am Legend, World War Z, 28 Days Later type vibes because I love zombies. Its entertaining enough and I imagine once the storyline gets past the teen girls it may "grow up".

The Night House (2020)

Solid for this genre

[8/10 · 9 April 2022]

Never got bored and its quite creepy. As another reviewer stated I do also believe this film takes a deep look at mental health and how it can trap you inside your own mind or alternate reality. While I despise movies like this being labeled as horror (I would put it more into the ghost category), it is well acted by Halls with quite an intriguing story and presentation. Did a great job of drumming up a sense of fear and dread in unique ways. The ending could have been a little better thought out but overall, thumbs up.

Don't Look Up (2021)

What is this??

[5/10 · 27 December 2021]

Great actors, politics aside, telling us something we already know... the rich, politicians, corporations and big tech run this country. Every decision predicated on the ability to make money. So much so that real problems are ignored in favor of doing whatever is necessary to hold office so the puppeteers can pull the ever-smiling politician's strings. The movie itself had some funny parts and the closing scenes were nice as the comet smashes into earth, the characters aware but trying in vain to ignore it. I certainly don't mind serious actors taking part in parodies but this seems like a misstep to me. Frankly I was rather bored through most of it.

The Matrix Resurrections (I) (2021)

Important things to remember

[6/10 · 24 December 2021]

It doesn't live up to the original for several reasons. There is a conversation between Anderson and his boss that clearly states why this movie was made and that, for me, gives 100% reasoning behind why this movie is what it is. There is a lot of rehash here but it is handled cleverly and given the story it's not pointless. It's also necessary to remember that this was filmed during COVID which I assume changed quite a bit of how filming went. The age of Reeves and Moss along with covid is a valid reason why the fight scenes weren't on par with the original. The film did drag a little in the middle as this is a very dialogue heavy film which also separates it from the original. Certainly don't go into this thinking it is going to be as groundbreaking as the original, it is not, but as I said the reason for this movie being made is integral to what you see on screen.

Mare of Easttown (2021)

Brilliant

[10/10 · 3 July 2021]

I held off watching this show for quite a while because I was a little burnt out on murder mysteries. Boy was I surprised. This show dives deep into so many serious topics and does it incredibly well in only 7 episodes. I've seen many other shows where this approach fails miserably. The writing is impeccable and the characters are real in their development. I was mostly impressed by Winslet's Mare, this was a great role for her to flex her muscles so to speak. The show is nicely paced unlike a lot of streaming shows these days where episodes go on and on with nothing happening. Definitely not sorry for giving this one a chance!

Late Night with Seth Meyers (2014– )

Sooooo boring

[1/10 · 13 May 2021]

The jokes are not at all funny and that is typically the basis of a late night show. Didn't mind Seth at all on SNL... but his monologue seems more like a video application to be a CNN political analyst. It's so chock full of political bias it's kind of sad. Keep that crap on the "news" channels. I don't watch late night to hear about politics, I watch it for a good laugh before turning in at night. Such a disappointment that Seth has turned into nothing more than dem mouthpiece.

I Care a Lot (2020)

Karma

[7/10 · 26 February 2021]

For me this movie was about Karma but also the extent to which greed has burrowed into our society. Money and/or fame at any cost regardless of who or what is in the way. Was it a perfect movie? No, of course not, but it was well acted and had some conversational gems. The reviews on here about this or that being unbelievable are just plain silly. Not every movie is about realism or some face-value play on morals. Although the realism of the first 30 mins was intriguing. Definitely kept me entertained and that's what movies are for.... I thought??

Years and Years (2019)

I'm not British... but bloody brilliant

[9/10 · 27 July 2019]

Interesting characters, nice family dynamic, realistic interpretation of how current trends are leading civilization astray... and an amazing look at politics. This show captures so well how politics is becoming more about what politicians say than what they do... and what they do is next to nothing but talk talk talk without really saying anything at all (besides bickering about what someone else isn't doing). This series is real, immediate and brave. Episode 4 was heartbreaking.

Bodyguard (2018)

Great show

[8/10 · 13 June 2019]

This is a great little show with some good acting and a compelling storyline with nice twists.

Dark (2017–2020)

Fantastic

[9/10 · 13 June 2019]

This is an amazing show. I took a chance on it when it was first released after seeing the trailer. The depth of the storyline and characters is mind boggling. It is a slow burner but so worth it.

I'm glad Netflix brings Americans foreign content. There are so many good shows and movies that are not American made. Sure it takes a little getting used to reading subtitles or trying to ignore bad dubbing but don't limit your intake to Hollywood. You will find some gems worth binging... this is one! Excited about season 2...

Chernobyl (2019)

Incredible

[10/10 · 21 May 2019]

My husband grew up near Kyiv and his father drove one of the buses that evacuated the civilians from Pripyat. I have heard his stories of the disaster; the people's concerns, fears and sacrifices. We watch this together and he is amazed at it's authenticity. The set detail, the way the Soviet regime hierarchy functioned, the denial and secrecy surrounding the disaster. He tried (as he usually does when watching a Western production based in or about that part of the world) to find errors or inconsistencies but has not been able to - yet.

The acting is impeccable by all, the filming is top notch, the sounds used to heighten the tension versus music. The way they are able to capture that exact feeling of anxiety, horror, disgust and sadness all rolled into one is admirable.

I have completed the series and it definitely ranks as one of the best. This story has been waiting to be told and there is hands down no one better than HBO to do it. Russia has said it intends to produce its own Chernobyl program, it will be interesting to compare the two. Theirs will purportedly label the CIA as the perpetrator....

The Silence (II) (2019)

This story came before A Quiet Place

[5/10 · 14 April 2019]

A lot of people are saying this is a rip off of A Quiet Place... that is totally incorrect actually. If anything A Quiet Place and Birdbox ripped off the premise from the 2015 book The Silence by Tim Lebbon. Do some research people, there have been numerous articles that state as much.

As far as the movie... a middle of the road decent time killer, it held my interest. It could have been much more in the right hands. I thought the acting was on par with the material the actors had to work with. CGI was lax and the situations the family found themselves in could have been orchestrated to be much more complex and dramatized. This is why A Quiet Place excelled.

People try entirely too hard to figure out what's wrong with a movie rather than just enjoy it. Don't go into every movie expecting it to be the best movie ever and perhaps you won't be so disappointed. Few movies deserve a 1 or 2 rating, just as few as deserve a 9 or 10.

Our Planet (2019–2023)

Beautiful Sadness

[10/10 · 12 April 2019]

If there ever were such a thing as beautiful sadness this is it. Finally the US has produced a nature documentary on par with Planet Earth. The scale, the clarity, the truth of both the imagery and storytelling is stunning. This is not something you have already seen before. And the 4K.... wow!!

Even with all this beauty there is a sadness in the realization that we are responsible for the degradation of our one and only planet. Bravo to the producers and videographers for choosing not to downplay this. If Attenborough can't convince you to open your eyes then no one can! Definitely watch it and enjoy it but also understand and apply its message.

Sharp Objects (2018)

Hats off to cast and crew

[9/10 · 22 August 2018]

Jean Marc Vallee, after Big Little Lies I was curious to see how he would approach another show. His signature storytelling is, in one word, SPECTACULAR. He is a gift to Hollywood for sure. The way he pieces together a story and maneuvers the viewer through a maze of dark visceral subject matter to the finale is awe-inspiring. His cast is like putty in his hands and every single person on the show hits the mark, oozing with personality and attitude. The camera work, visuals, music, acting, directing, locations... everything is top-notch. Definitely a rewarding watch!!!

Extinction (2018)

Good concept, not so great execution

[4/10 · 28 July 2018]

The 1 star reviews are absurd. I'd be curious to know what those people give 10 stars. If they thought it was so bad, they should make a movie, I would enjoy rating it.

Yes, the kids were whiners... imagine that, they are kids and the world is being destroyed before their eyes. Although I do agree the kids could have been toned down just a bit, but at the same time most kids these days are directed to respond way too maturely.

The overall concept was quite interesting, although I think the script and dialogue fell flat. This made the main actors seem to be mediocre but I believe they just didn't have much to work with. There's no traumas, backstories, quirks or habits for the actors to sink their teeth into... perhaps because their memories were erased. Another review made note that perhaps their lack of emotion or character was due to them being synths... as emotion goes, if that's the case why were the kids not directed in the same way? Apart from that I could agree. Also, on the note of synths, shouldn't AI be smarter? Of course, but do we understand how emotion affects AI? Perhaps, it WOULD cause bad judgement, confusion, sacrifice. After all, fear is an emotion.

The movie wasn't terrible and it wasn't awesome, but it was entertaining. It was lacking, hanging only by the concept and a few choice scenes. But seriously, there are much worse movies out there.