jramza-1 Reviews

Resident Alien (2021– )

Started off interesting, then downhill

[4/10 · 22 May 2024]

The show started off interesting and I expected it to get even better, picking up its pace. Instead, it seem to get more laborious, the jokes and humor more tedious and repeated, the characters more two dimensional. He has awkward mannerisms, and laughs awkwardly; a situational comedic moment which is funny the first couple times, but loses its novelty quickly, and it's just no longer funny by the 7th or 8th occurrence.

I also felt like, as is the trend lately, I was being "educated" in political correctness with the addition of new characters and dialogue- a little girl in hijab who stops to pray to Allah in tense scenes. Seriously? The show ultimately lost me. It had potential, which makes it more tragic to me. I just couldn't get beyond episode 6.

Quantum Leap (2022–2024)

I know they could re-capture the magic; they chose not to.

[2/10 · 15 May 2024]

Season 2, episode 6 - I cried. I literally cried- it was THE magic that defined the original series.

Then by episode 10, it was back to educating us in the way of transsexuality. AGAIN! They literally STOPPED the episode to give a 6 minute info talk on transsexuality. In season one, they had an entire episode dedicated to a trans teen - I just couldn't watch it. I'm so SICK of it. Why can't they JUST TELL A STORY? Like they did in S2 E6? Is it that difficult to make a tv show without teaching alternative lifestyles sex ed? WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE? Why do they think people want such tripe, from a show that, originally, had very traditional values?

Totally Killer (2023)

Had potential; missed it by a mile

[4/10 · 21 April 2024]

This movie certainly reminded me of Freaky, but without the strong comedic quality. While I appreciate that a genre earns itself a certain degree for suspending disbelief, a goofy high school girl inventing a Time Machine in her spare time? No. Just No. And the ending was so convoluted, I couldn't include a spoiler even if I wanted to. I liked the acting, the cinematography, the music. But the tragic, immature writing was the work of a 10 year old, not afforded to it even for a movie that is horror/comedy. No idea what the producers were thinking - this film script needed at least 4 more script re-writes.

Snatch (2000)

A decent watch, but I just don't get the love reviews...

[6/10 · 7 February 2022]

Convoluted plot, fast paced (so fast, it's hard to bond with any of the characters, assuming you can follow them through the convoluted plot). If that doesn't make for enough audience confusion- be sure to turn on the subtitles. Without them, you'll be confounded by about 25% of the dialogue (Brad Pitt plays his character with a thick English-Scottish accent, further processed through a Roma/gypsy accent, and spoken fast and garbled. What he says IS accurately transliterated by the subtitles; but it's all but inaudible to the average American viewer. I can't imagine seeing this in the theater- it would be intolerable. Violence is extreme, but not gratuitous for a movie of this genre. The story, without giving a spoiler, is just about different groups of thieves trying to steal from thieves - nothing complicated, unique or impressive. Hence, I really don't understand the high rating on IMDb.

Tenet (2020)

A lot of love; a lot of hate

[7/10 · 15 January 2022]

Ok, so I've read the scathing reviews as well as rave reviews. My dilemma? I agree with both. I liked the movie. It's not a masterpiece. It's obsession with complex physics temporal/time displacement and parallel universes is at times irritating, and not very accurate (as others have noted), but ultimately necessary for the story line and conclusion. The dialogue track is indeed abysmal- characters often mumble, talk too fast, or talk behind masks. I highly recommend watching this movie with English subtitles. You'll even have to rewind at times- you can't read fast enough to keep up. Sometimes the subtitles even say: inaudible chatter. People say you need to watch it multiple times to get it. You don't. But you may want to watch the last 3 chapters over, as I did; It helps to clarify the actions of dopplegangers/"twins", and why the movie's obsession with physics, matters.

The movie forces you to think, to keep up. If you just want to enjoy a good action flick, as action goes, it's not that great. I prefer movies with new actors, with actors I've not seen before. But I'm not sure these actors were quite up to the challenge of a movie this complex. Music was unremarkable. It's a good, thought-provoking movie, but not a masterpiece.

Superman II (1980)

Be sure to watch Richard Donner cut 2006

[8/10 · 4 December 2021]

I remember seeing this movie as a kid in 1980 - loved the concept; but the script/ screenplay did NOT hold together. What seemed at the time like bad editing (I later learned) was the result of the producers ((Alexander and ilya Salkind) turning the second movie over to another director after Richard Donner had already shot much of the movie. It ended up fragmented, and it often didn't explain critical story line aspects. Somehow Donner received legal permission to finish/re-make the movie using archived footage he shot, as well as digitally altered, integrated screen test footage shot even before episode 1 had been filmed.

In short- it works. It raises the movie from sub par, to being a great storyline about the relationship between a father who sacrificed everything for his son, and his son, becoming a man.

Even if you don't watch episode 1, if you haven't seen this version, and you saw it in the 1980's, it's definitely worth watching this version.

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

Great movie, but be warned- closer to "X" than "R"

[8/10 · 24 October 2021]

This movie strikes so many notes- based on a true story, with remarkable acting that plays to both a dramatic and comedic effect, simultaneously (which is rather impressively done).

Many viewers complained of the vulgar language and no holds barred sex scenes- it served a purpose for character development, and creating the effect, by the movie's end, that left you feeling turned off by the excesses. Still, I personally would have preferred a true R editing; the movie clearly flirts with an X rating, and that's just not my thing.

Alexander (2004)

The positive reviews just can't be real.

[2/10 · 26 August 2021]

I'm definitely missing something here. This film got a 5.6 on IMDb, and a reasonable rating on rotten tomatoes. It must be one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Acting was so over the top, it was comical. Many scenes showed Collin Ferrel with his eyes so wide open, I paused the film to see if they were his actual eyes. Accents just sounded fake and weird - I suspect they were attempting to sound Greek; they just sounded weird. At times the film saw itself as "artsy," and would change the color timing so you only saw one color (red), or the colors were all altered to other colors. I'm only guessing, but I think Collin Ferrel was trying to "act gay;" instead, it came off as simply poor acting, with a lot of emphatic mannerisms that might do well on stage, but not in a movie with close ups. In short, this was a peculiar caricature of a bad movie played by bad actors, despite the thorough top billing. I'm stunned how people saw it as anything but a funny movie that was not intended as comedy.

Project X (2012)

A sad commentary on today's generation.

[2/10 · 30 September 2020]

People have described this movie as a modern day "Bueller's Day off," for millennials. The difference, is that Ferris Bueller never hurt anybody. He never attacked anybody, stun gunned someone, took advantage of them sexually, ordered them to undress , or set their house on fire. If this is the next generation's Ferris, then I worry we have raised a bunch of sociopaths.

Alien (1979)

Deserves a 10, but...a victim of its own genius and success.

[7/10 · 11 January 2020]

Anyone who saw Alien before 1985 knows the iconic impact it had on all future sci-fi / horror movies that would follow. It was a creative canon, a standard, by which all subsequent movies would be held against in comparison (even its own sequels). The problem- why I give it 6.8/10? Like all classics, to be viewed by future generations, it cannot remain in a time warp, never to be compared to the future films it inspired or spawned. As my sons watched this movie, they cringed at the special and visual effects, and matte paintings, that for our generation were indistinguishable from a real life, massive set (the artists won Oscars for these masterpiece effects). But for today's generation, the special, visual, and model effects are readily distinguishable, and effectively destroy the film's illusion. My kids could easily point out where the seams to the matte paintings were located. I hate to admit it, but this film's only failing is that it cannot stand up to the newest generation of films, that it brought about.

Under the Silver Lake (2018)

It was like reading only halfway through the Davinci Code

[2/10 · 26 December 2019]

The movie begins with an intriguing set up and what seems to be careful character development, given it's very slow, methodical pace. This is backed up by a very dramatic, stirring and amplified musical score reminiscent of the 1950's Hitchcock films, that hints of oncoming mysteries and a journey to solve them. Slowly (very, very slowly), the plot (which seems less methodical and more randomly meandering) leads us to a character who is a conspiracy theorist, who presents several conspiracies to the protagonist (several), all of which are then introduced to the film as well. Interspersed throughout all of this are random, highly graphic scenes of the protagonist in casual sexual encounters. One wonders if this is somehow conveying a tragic inability of the protagonist to cope, or some other nuanced message; after the final encounter, I personally came to the conclusion it was just soft porn. Also interspersed are scenes of the protagonist brutally assaulting 2 children, and another brutal, bloody and explicit killing.

Then, like the Deus ex machine of Greek tragedies, we're provided only one simple nugget of explanation to only one of the protagonist's mysteries, which somehow is supposed to bring resolution (not even close) and the movie ends. At this point, despite all of the character development, I did not feel like I knew this main character AT ALL. I could not discern if he was tragic or victorious, insightful or psychotic, the hero or just one of the villains. I don't think this is a spoiler ; I don't think I COULD give a spoiler for this movie. In the end, it was well-acted, but very poorly scripted, strangely scored, and confusingly contrived. I would sum it up as long, tedious scenes for character development that ends up vague, with never-ending plot set ups for mystery and shock that are never resolved, interspersed with gratuitous violence and soft porn.

Good Boys (2019)

What was the target audience ?

[2/10 · 14 December 2019]

The movie seemed to fall flat in its inability to target any audience. The sexual subject matter made it inappropriate for someone under 15. The ridiculous dialogue and poor script made it inappropriate for anyone over 12. The poor acting, and the constant obscene language, well, just made it weird; I have kids, and I've been a teacher; kids don't talk or act the way the kids in this movie did. It was like a badly conceived tv sitcom. I'm just left perplexed as to how it's garnished an IMDB rating over 5.

What's Your Number? (2011)

Tasteless, unfunny run at insightful romantic comedy

[2/10 · 28 April 2019]

It made the effort to be insightful, but missed the mark, in no small part due to the premise that a female with lose morals can fall in true love with a male (of albeit even lower morality), and by the movie's end, because they enjoy each other's company so much, they will somehow rise to the challenges of a real loving relationship.

Ok, so aside from my disappointment In the lacking depth, Ive still enjoyed some amoral flicks over the years that had the simple virtue of being funny; but this film really never elicited laughter. I was embarrassed a lot for the main characters- but even there, not to the point of finding their predicaments very funny. Music was less than average, and cover performances sub par.

It was just a lot less than one would expect from a well written, tightly produced Hollywood romcom.

Crash (I) (2004)

"Threes Company" with roid rage

[3/10 · 10 March 2019]

The movie had potential- great actors, amazing actors, provoking soundtrack. But the script and dialogue- after an hour of watching everyone yelling and screaming at everyone, I just lost interest. And the yelling doesn't stop until the end. Nobody ever talks or explains anything to the other characters; if they did, every conflict would instantly resolve. It was like painfully watching an episode of Threes Company where one misunderstanding dominos out of control, usually hinged on a character who is unhinged. I was not entertained. Just walked away with a headache.

Ragnarok (2013)

Great movie for age 12+

[8/10 · 3 March 2019]

I really enjoyed this film with my 13 year old son. Only one caveat: the dubbing is aweful. The actors' voices do not match nor convey the spirit of the mood of the movie. If you intend to view this, watch it in the original language with subtitles. My son has dyslexia, but still preferred to see this film in its original language, with subtitles, than translated and dubbed.

Tolko ne oni (2018)

Not a fair review here...

[3/10 · 6 November 2018]

I saw this Russian movie in Latvia with my son, who speaks Russian (I do not). He enjoyed it, and gave it a 7/10. I was forced to guess what was going on (no English subtitles) but this wasn't difficult. The acting was over-exaggerated, as if it were being performed by actors on stage, and the plot was pretty thin. The gentleman next to me, who I believe spoke Russian, fell asleep - snoring loudly, which didn't seem to bother anyone else in the theater. I think I heard some mild / soft laughs 2-3 times, but for the most part, the audience was pretty sedate for a comedy. I couldn't recommend this film. If slapstick comedy is what you're looking for, spend your money on another comedy, like Johnny English 3.

Deadpool 2 (2018)

I'm really torn...

[8/10 · 26 August 2018]

I loved DP1 (gave it 10/10). I did enjoy watching this on DVD (I gave it 7/10, my son gave it 9/10= 8/10). But the constant jokes to the audience that it's a low grade movie with a poor script, cheap X men characters, CGI) - well, these jokes get less funny each time, and they happen a LOT in this movie. And regrettably, the script DID feel poorly developed, the X men WERE uninteresting, and any potential for good drama or humor seemed to get lost in the bloody carnage. I love violence in a movie, but the level of gratuitous gore is definitely "upped" several notches from DP1, with some scenes being things I could have died without ever seeing and felt none the worse. I enjoyed watching this at the cost of renting a DVD. (I own DP1 in 4K). But I f I had purchased 2 movie tickets to see it - I'd be feeling a bit let down.

The Big Short (2015)

See "inside job" instead

[5/10 · 6 October 2016]

I really wanted (even expected) to love this movie. I'm a big Steve Carrel fan (and I did live his performance in particular, in this movie). But while it had a serious task to tell the story of the subprime mortgage scandal and the complicit involvement of the banksters , and to tell the story in a manner intelligible to the average person, it told the story strangely. The intense performance of Christian Bale seemed oddly misplaced in a story where characters frequently stop and talk candidly with the viewer. The storyline constantly juxtaposes the seriousness of the repercussions, with offhandedly placed humor. It juxtaposes the greed of the banksters with that of the protagonists who are somehow excused for the profit they gleaned as wealth was redistributed to them, while others lost homes and jobs. And, indeed, as one reviewer noted here, many lost homes because they bought their homes unwisely, and the taxpayers were left to bail out everyone.

In short, for what I think this film is trying to accomplish, I much more recommend seeing "inside job." It's just a far better, straightforward film.

Monster Night (2006 Video)

Disappointing.

[1/10 · 6 October 2016]

I like low budget kid thrillers, like goosebumps, or "The Monster Squad." This movie fails terribly on so many levels. Poor CGI, extremely poor music soundtrack which plays almost nonstop - and all but gives a drum beat at the end of each poorly written and executed joke. Scenarios staged as funny are just odd. The target audience is extremely narrow - ages 3-7 at most, maybe even 6 as an upper end limit. Acting is quite forced, over the top, and I'm not sure if it was due to poor acting or poor directing. I honestly can't recommend this movie at all, and I'm perplexed by the handful of reviews here on IMDb that can. I regret feeling greatly misled.

R.L. Stine's the Haunting Hour (2010–2014)

Great series! But episode 2.6 (brush with madness) NOT kid-appropriate.

[8/10 · 3 October 2016]

I love this series. Watching it with the kids in October - a tradition.

But I saw episode 2.6 (Brush with Madness) with my 2 kids and 3 of my friend's children. One of them, the oldest (aged15) responded, at the end of the movie: "this is more like (the movie) "Saw" than a kid's movie." I totally agreed. The ending was disturbingly violent - disturbing is fine for a children's horror genre; it goes with the genre. But disturbingly violent - not cool. Nope - not cool AT ALL. (Spoiler alert) I was genuinely put off by the ending, in which a teen aged boy and his girlfriend are (off camera) sawed in half. This is not appropriate for any film under an "R" rating, in my opinion. I did not expect this. The film has a warning that the film may not be suitable for children under 7; this episode was inappropriate for any child. Nobody under aged 17 should view this without a parent - and the graphic depiction at the movie's end should have been better warned of in advance. Cool concept. Well acted. Well written. But this was NOT WELL-TARGETED FOR ITS TARGET AUDIENCE OF CHILDREN.

R.L. Stine's the Haunting Hour: Brush with Madness (2011) Season 2, Episode 6

Extremely (disturbingly) violent

[2/10 · 3 October 2016]

I saw this episode with my 2 kids and 3 of my friend's children. One of them, the oldest (aged15) responded, at the end of the movie: "this is more like (the movie) "Saw" than a kid's movie." I totally agreed. The ending was disturbingly violent - disturbing is fine for a children's horror genre; it goes with the genre. But disturbingly violent - not cool. Nope - not cool AT ALL. (Spoiler alert) I was genuinely put off by the ending, in which a teen aged boy and his girlfriend are (off camera) sawed in half. This is not appropriate for any film under an "R" rating, in my opinion. I did not expect this. The film has a warning that the film may not be suitable for children under 7; this episode was inappropriate for any child. Nobody under aged 17 should view this without a parent - and the graphic depiction at the movie's end should have been better warned of in advance. Cool concept. Well acted. Well written. But this was NOT WELL-TARGETED FOR ITS TARGET AUDIENCE OF CHILDREN.

Joe Somebody (2001)

Just not very good.

[5/10 · 19 August 2016]

A lot of the reviewers for this movie wrote that it was "not a very good movie but..." A lot of the reviewers wanted to like this movie, as did I. A number of them even said it was a clean family movie. However, by trying to be a "clean" movie that kids could watch, with a strange "sappy" ending that just didn't fit (at all), and being a believable drama about midlife crisis, failed marriage, workplace violence, and corporate ethics, they ended up with a movie that often seemed far too tedious for young viewers, and not genuine for older viewers; in trying to appeal to everyone, they missed the mark to appeal to anyone. Which is why I think most reviews stop short of saying they simply didn't like this movie, and say it was easily forgotten only seconds after turning it off. It had potential, and Tim Allen is an amicable actor to watch. But he's had far better films to his credit.

Big Game (2014)

A great movie for a target audience of ages 10-16

[7/10 · 10 June 2016]

I saw this film with my son. I tolerated it; he loved it. (Seeing Mace Windu cowering in fear was just too iconoclastic for me.). Lots of clichés. Far too violent for little kids (murder, people plummeting to their deaths, drowned bodies floating by, people being blown up, a neck is broken) and far too campy and unbelievable for anyone over age 16. I'd give it a 4; he insisted on a 7/10. And from his perspective, I can see why: Great actors in a poor script with misguided directing. Great visuals. Great soundtrack. And "the kid" is on an archetypical journey into manhood through a traditional rite of passage. If you have an appropriately aged target audience in your family, they'll like it.

Mr. Holmes (2015)

I expected to like it more, as I love Holmes movies

[7/10 · 4 June 2016]

I expected to love this film. And indeed, I DID like it. But it was really a film about an elderly ex-detective with Alzheimer's, than the typical Conan Doyle detective mystery I personally prefer. And perhaps I've grown warped and fixated on the Cumberbatch portrayal of the character (which I subjectively and biasedly consider the iconic portrayal of Holmes), but having come to associate Holmes with Cumberbatch, I simply found this portrayal disappointingly lacking. That said , it was a solid, entertaining story; but the identity of Holmes really felt quite incidental and unimportant to the crux of the story-line - it could have been about any aging detective. Those who enjoy Holmes will not dislike it, but may simply find it unfulfilling.

Drive (I) (2011)

I really feel it deserved an "X" rating for violence.

[7/10 · 31 May 2016]

Lots of emotional reviews on here, and understandably so. The movie is not complicated - very simple plot of a "no questions asked", mysterious driver for hire, who gets involved with a woman, her son, and a husband with serious baggage. The acting is stoic, appropriately, so it's hard to tell if the actors are solid, or are just taking a pass. The script is cohesive and engaging - but simple. The soundtrack is different, but engaging.

For me, the real problem was the over the top gratuitous violence. And I'm not a guy who disdains well-placed violence in a movie, nor gratuitous violence in the right movie. But when it's over-the-top AND gratuitous, it's (as my 16 year old son said), "nauseating." It was purposefully plot driven, and I get that. But the degree was so shocking in places, it made a movie I could easily have given 9/10, into 7/10. It was so disgusting, the shock value actually pulled me out of the movie. I really felt, of any movie I've ever seen, it deserved an X rating. I really would think twice letting anyone under 17 see this, even with a parent.