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jtgrogan
Reviews
Wolfblood (2012)
Good teen/young adult series
Keep in mind that this review is coming from an older guy, and this show was clearly made for people 10-15 years younger than me. However, I caught wind of it through my niece, and now I actually enjoy it myself. It's a teen show full of silly high school drama and relationship issues, but the characters are well developed and relatable at least on some level. The young actors are solid. Of course I do wish it was a bit more violent and intense, but it is a kid's show after all.
Killjoy 2: Deliverance from Evil (2002)
Technically awful, but entertaining
Okay, so I don't think anyone can argue that this is a bad movie. In terms of writing, acting, practical effects, dialogue etc. it's borderline garbage. The story is completely asinine. However, the movie actually does have a few decent things going for it. The atmosphere in the woods is solid and even a bit creepy at times, the musical score isn't bad and the Killjoy character itself has potential to be a great villain. Unfortunately he isn't executed all that well, and said potential is wasted. The best performance in the film comes from B-movie legend Debbie Rochon. Ultimately, I enjoyed this for what it was... and I think it knows exactly what it is.
Murphy's Law (1986)
Fantastic '80s action movie
To put it simply, I love this film. In fact, I consider it one of the most overlooked and underrated action films of the '80s, and in my opinion it's definitely the best Bronson flick outside of the Death Wish films. The story is relatively formulaic, but not so generic that it becomes uninteresting. There are a few good twists and turns that keep you enthralled throughout. The film has plenty of hardcore action, witty dialogue and badass characters (including two separate villains) to satisfy any action fan. In fairness, the movie is far from perfect. Kathleen Wilhoite's character can be annoying at times, and I don't care for the random and incredibly brief forced romance between her and Bronson during the latter half of the film, which was unnecessary and awkward. Nonetheless, if you're looking for a solid '80s action flick (complete with all the 80s tropes), give this film a shot. Especially if you're a Charles Bronson fan, this is a must-see.
The Prince (2014)
Entertaining enough for a one-time watch
Being a fan of Patric, Willis and Cusack, and having 90 minutes to spare, I decided to check this out on a whim. No, the story is nothing new or innovative. In fact, it's rather generic at times. But it kept me entertained thanks to a strong performance from Patric, and even Willis didn't seem to be phoning it in this time. John Cusack wasn't given enough to work with, unfortunately. The action is solid and the lead characters were likeable enough to keep me interested throughout. Ultimately, it's a decent revenge thriller worth checking out.
Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2018)
Not the Turtles I grew up with
Having been an avid TMNT fan for nearly two decades, and having enjoyed most of the previous incarnations of the characters (including the 2012 series) I decided to give this a shot, because my girlfriend's son is a young Turtles fan and loves this show. I reluctantly sat through a handful of episodes with him, and I've come to the conclusion that it's just not for me. I was immediately turned off by the art style and depiction of the characters, particularly Splinter (wtf?). Granted, the show is obviously made for a new generation of fans, but I can't see how this is even appealing to younger fans, being that the storyline is mediocre at best and the animation style is awful. I hate that I've become the "what the hell are these kids watching these days" guy. Sorry, it's just not what I'm used to. One day I'll pass down my collection to my gf's son and show him where it all started, and what I consider to be the REAL TMNT. Thankfully we can still watch reruns of the 2012 series together which I actually do enjoy. I was excited to bond with him over something we're both fans of, but this just ain't it.
Teen Titans Go! (2013)
Just plain garbage
Being a huge comic book fan, as well as a fan of the excellent Teen Titans cartoon from 2003, I expected this to be at least somewhat reminiscent of the Titans that I grew up with. I watched a few episodes with my son and gave up quickly. My son loves this show, I don't understand the appeal at all. The characters are badly written and there is VERY little action, and I really cannot get into this modern animation art style. I like that they used the same voice actors from the original series, but my god.... those couple of episodes were painful to get through. I understand I'm not exactly part of the target demographic, but objectively this is just terrible. I hope my son doesn't feel the need to subject me to such BS in the future.
Lion Strike (1994)
Fun, cheesy action movie
This is actually the best of the Ring of Fire series. If you're like me and you love straight-forward '90s action/martial arts flicks, you'll enjoy this one. Don't expect a complex story with loads of character development. What you get here is a simple plot with a likeable protagonist and some solid action sequences. This reminded me of some of the early Steven Seagal films. If you're a fan of that kind of thing, give this one a shot.