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FrankMize
Reviews
The Abyss (1989)
Movie starts "in the hole"
It is an entertaining movie, but the whole concept of having a submersible drilling platform is galactically stupid. The risk is extraordinary compared to doing everything from surface.....not to mention that a production platform would have to be set if they found any oil or gas....so why be down there with a submersible rig in the first place? Hollywood intelligence at its finest. Not science fiction, but ficticious science. If you can set aside the concept of actual reason, the movie is worth watching. What the crew discovers at the bottom of the ocean alone is reason enough to watch the movie. But in order to have a truly good science fiction movie, it has to be believable. Oddly enough, the fiction part is believable! The submersible drilling platform is not even close. And yes, I've worked offshore.
Yellowstone: One-Fifty (2022)
Great documentary, just three wishes.
Really an excellant documentary, and very well written. I would have appreciated more Geology, but that is just being selfish as I am a geologist. But they totally passed over the significance of what would happen if the volcano errupted (very significant). The consequences for the United States would be devastating. My other comment I never would have expected, but Kevin Costner's narration was flat, monotone, and lacked any feeling. He would have been much better off had he hired someone else. Lastly, the way the script is worded is not quite correct in terms of the earthquake. The geologic shift caused the quake. The quake did not cause the shift. And obsidian is volcanic glass .
Madam Secretary (2014)
Scientifically incorrect
The show is really pretty good to start with, but when they start telling us the world is going to end due to the rising sea level, and other such nonsense, and continued along that kind of reasoning, I had to pull the plug.
The New Swiss Family Robinson (1998)
Not so hot
It is a watchable movie. But the Jack Robinson character is flat as a pancake. He was just going through the motions of the script. He did what he was supposed to do, and that was it. My dog displays emotion better than he did. Really ruined what could have been a pretty good movie. Think the director really dropped the ball. Something traumatic happens, and he behaves as if he's in a hurry to shorten the movie. Made the story unbelievable.
The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)
Not a 'must see' but a WHY GO!
There was no real closure to this movie, it just ended. It was as if they ran out of money and couldn't afford to finish. There was no character building within the movie. Additionally, for a science fiction movie to be good, it has to include science, not just fiction. There was no science from this geologist's point of view.
Movie makers should remake bad movies, not good ones. I can tolerate it when they are well done, but this movie had no heart, no soul or no real story. I would wager that there was less than half the amount of dialog than the original. The Klatu character was totally cold and lifeless, as if he were an android, not a living being.
The original was a landmark in science fiction history, as it was the first movie where the alien was a good guy. This movie is an insult to the original.
The 10th Kingdom (2000)
No Fairytale Ending
All in all, while there was a fair amount of humor, the series was pretty dark. It would also be a little difficult for children to follow. The acting was excellent, but the ending that we all suffered to wait out and see was depressing as hell. I found myself wishing I had never watched it. Most people like fantacy as it normally has a happy ending. My dog could have written a better ending for this series, though it looked as if they intended the series to go on or have a sequel. Throughout the series, I kept waiting for something good to happen.......I'm still waiting.
Is Genesis History? (2017)
From a Christian and a Scientist
First of all, I am a Christian, and believe Genesis to be metaphorical. I also believe the author is driving Christians away from belief through shear hard headedness. I'm a 65 year old geologist, and there is no science here, but that should not infringe on anyone's faith. When you see God, you can ask him. If you don't believe in God, it doesn't matter. Jesus lived, and died and rose again. There IS evidence of that. Any first year geology student should be able to PROVE that his science references are bogus. And if that isn't enough, how can the author explain that current science, by virtue of the Hubble and newer telescopes, reveal somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 million galaxies, some 13.8 billion light years away? Can't tell you exactly how many as we yet to have the technology to count the ones we can see. So because of what WE CAN SEE, the universe has to be at least 13.8 billion years old.
The Trap (1946)
Leave this one alone
I too am a serious Charlie Chan fan, but this HAS to be the worst of the lot. Someone wrote this script while taking care of their daily constitutional. Shallow humor, poor plot line, unbelievable acting. Sidney Toler was never particularly good, but he was at his worst in this one. The story line just doesn't make any sense. If you choose to watch this one, you will be glad when it's over.
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)
So bad I had to watch it, glad I finished it.
The first half of the movie really is awful. The script is bad throughout. Jonathan's character is the only one that holds up. Special effects are pretty good. Am writing this review as I watch it on Netflix. Actually had to up my rating. Probably the worst movie I watched to the end. Glad I didn't spend any money on this one.
The Great Outdoors (1988)
Sounded the gong inside 30 min.
This will not be a fair review, but a timely one. This movie may have been funny in the 80's, but to a 65 year old in 2019, seeing it for the first time it's dead pan awful. The characters are unbelievable. They remind me of high school kids reading lines. The movie just didn't age well. Maybe it improved after 30 min, but I thought it a total waste of time as I hardly laughed at all. This was a recommendation to me from someone who had fond memories of the movie, and I looked forward to seeing it. I really regret that I had to rent it from Amazon. I own well over a thousand disks, and if I could go back in time, I would have been happy to replace the 30 min with any one of them.
The Mark of Zorro (1974)
Never remake a good movie
Ricardo Montalbon does a fair job, but the rest of the acting is atrocious. The Tyrone Power Jr. version was one of the hallmarks of filmdom, and one of my all time favorite movies. I had never seen this movie till today, and couldn't stand more than 20 minutes of it.
Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957)
Missed this one as a kid.... Not bad!
Is it cheesy, yes. Is it a typical 50's sci-fi classic, yes, but I'll have to admit that I enjoyed it. At least there was someone to cheer for as opposed to some of our more modern movies, and it's just over one hour long. I would have been four years old when this movie came out and had I had seen it and my new that would have scared the c#&p out of me.....but for a 1957 low budget flick, it was pretty good. It held my attention to the end, as compared to two top rated new releases (winter of '18-'19) which I walked out of.
Aquaman (2018)
Pretty good, one fundamental issue
I honestly thought the movie was pretty good overall. First I saw the movie in 2D and as I watched it thought that it really would be great in 3D. So two days later I saw it in 3D. I was so looking forward to seeing it in 3D because I saw all the opportunities for 3D to really shine again as it did in Avatar. I'm one of those people that really want 3D to succeed and come back though I may be in the minority. It wasn't very long into the second time through, watching it in 3D, that it struck me. The whole movie is just too dark.I don't mean that in the sense that it's evil. I mean it's just too dark. There we're so many scenes that would have been so much better had we as the audience be able to see them and more light. I know the whole thing is supposed to be under water but surely they could have explained their way around that! It is my belief that are younger movie Makers just don't have the background and basic fundamentals....
How bright does a picture need to be or how long to display text so people have time to read it are just two things that popped out for me. I believe DC missed a huge opportunity here. Can anyone describe the monster at the end of the movie? I think not. Believe ratings could have been between .5-1.0 higher with more brightness and less artistic gray.
Widows (2018)
No good guys
OK, so I'm a romantic when it comes to movies. It does have something in common with the Godfather movies, where it focuses on a strong criminal element and corrupt government officials, but after tolerating the first 45 minutes of this one, I walked out. Totally depressing, and certainly not entertaining. If you come from a criminal no win situation background, this movie is for you. Did believe the acting was pretty good, but it's always easier to play the bad guy.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)
Poor continuity, a little disappointed
First of all, love did not seem to account for much, which goes against JK Rowling's premis in her first series. Second, the movie was confusing to one of her biggest fans. I do give her credit in the fact that we won't truly understand this movie till we see the next one (or two). In fact, I'm such a fan, I will go see it again, as I must have missed something. The only thing I understood for sure was that this movie was designed to make money. I really wish I had never seen it.
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
Sort of enjoyed it, but......
What can I say, as I don't want to write this with spoilers.....The story line is not consistent with the past movies, but I guess there is nothing new there. It did hold my interest, but Disney sure plowed under a good story, and turned the hero into a spineless loser with a few moments of redemption near the end. I read a number of the not so favorable reviews, and agree with most of them, but I had other issues.
First of all, the movie is way too long. In the end there are so many conflicts, Disney wastes millions of dollars on effects that are totally unnecessary. Just one of those 'end of movie' conflicts would have been sufficient to achieve the same goal, even with their character crushing story line.
Second, the story line really did not acknowledge how much the destruction of the Star Killer base should have hurt the First Order. The rebellion takes out a primary element of the First Order, and it is the Rebellion that is suddenly weakened and vulnerable? Who writes this stuff? Who approves this stuff? I know it is a knock off of the first three movies, so I guess there is going to be another Star Killer Base in the last movie? I know its 'science fiction', but it would be much better if it could be slightly believable.
I do love the characters in the new movie, and I believe the acting to be top notch, but the script really leaves a lot to be desired. Fans new to the story won't mind so much, but those of us that 'grew up' with the original three movies feel as if we were shot in the back, and there are quite a few of us.
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)
Much potential, much crap
I realize this is a spy spoof, but this is just another modern film that proves conclusively that just because you can do something, doesn't necessarily mean that you should. The movie shows signs of having class, style, and some really good effects, but erupts with classless senseless violence before the end of the movie. The only thing that saved the rating above a 5 was it had a good ending with good closure. This movie could have been sensational, but unfortunately turned into nothing more than one of those chain saw horror films on steroids. If you like that sort of film, this movie is for you. Not my 'cup of tea'.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015)
Better than the book series
I imagine this review will be different than most if not all reviews. I am a true 'romantic' when it comes to movies or books. I get enough real life in real life. I felt absolutely dreadful after reading the book series, and still wish I had never read it. I rated the movie a 10 on the merit of them fixing the ending of the book series. If you are a classic romantic as I am, I strongly discourage anyone reading the last book in the series if they have that option, and just see the movie for closure. In this one case, ignorance is bliss. Even so, the movie is still an emotional meat grinder, so be warned. I'll let the other reviewers describe the effects, story and whatever else may be important to them. For myself, I needed the movie, but won't ever need to see it again, or waste money on the disk, even though I own thousands...literally. I wish to be entertained when I watch movies, not emotionally drained. For those that like that sort of thing, this series is definitely for you.
The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)
Not a 'must see' but a WHY GO!
There was no real closure to this movie, it just ended. It was as if they ran out of money and couldn't afford to finish. There was no character building within the movie. Additionally, for a science fiction movie to be good, it has to include science, not just fiction. There was no science from this geologist's point of view.
Movie makers should remake bad movies, not good ones. I can tolerate it when they are well done, but this movie had no heart, no soul or no real story. I would wager that there was less than half the amount of dialog than the original. The Klatu character was totally cold and lifeless, as if he were an android, not a living being.
The original was a landmark in science fiction history, as it was the first movie where the alien was a good guy. This movie is an insult to the original.
Beowulf (2007)
Where is the story
I love SciFi, and some of the CGI in this movie was good, but honestly, it wasn't great. I had the feeling I was watching a video game, as it had very little dialog. The characters are not developed. The entire story line could be told on a story board with six panels. Beowolf comes to kill a demon. Beowolf kills demon. Beowolf is seduced by demons mother. Beowolf fathers a son that grows to be a dragon. Beowolf kills dragon. Beowolf dies at the end of the battle. End of story. Yes, there was some interaction between Beowolf, the queen, the king, and his number one lieutenant, but it was minimal. I'm guessing the script for this movie was no more than 20 pages. If they would have eliminated the line 'I am Beowolf', it may have shortened it by two pages. I was looking forward to this movie, but in all honesty was very disappointed.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
OK movie, but lacked "the magic"
As Warner is under contract with J. K. Rowling, they are forced to some degree to stay with the story line, so those who have not read the books have no real frame of reference, though it is interesting to read their reviews. I believe this would be a very difficult movie to enjoy without reading the books, as there is no other way to fill in the gaps. There was no other way to understand most of the motivations, as they are not explained. As I am a big fan of the books, the conclusions that I drew from the movie were that Warner's primary decision on what part of the story stayed and what was cut was based on costs. Much of the "magic" was cut, and way too much time was spent just getting to Hogwarts.
I, as many others, believe Gambon's portrayal of Dumbledore is way out of character, but am afraid we are stuck with him through the next movie. If he has been directed in this manner, my apologies to Lord Gambon. He has absolutely no warmth. Dumbledore represents the leader of the powers of good, and this misrepresentation of his character effectively removes any love for the character. Dumbledore's kindness, consideration, and gentle spirit are central to the theme of the Potter saga. The movie portrays him as just another talented wizard. There is nothing special or unique about him. Why would anyone be upset if this character would die? It's not critical in the 5th movie, but in the 6th, it is one of the most important, if not the most important theme element to the plot. Gambon's take on Dumbledore is very short sighted.
I did enjoy the movie, but highly recommend to the fans that have not read the books that they are "missing the magic", and they should set aside some time to read. If you like the movies, I guarantee you will love the books.
Nothing But Trouble (1991)
Worst movie with the best cast
I endured this movie after purchasing it in a sale bin, and now I know why it was there. I really love movies, but this one has got to be the worst of all time with such a good cast. John Candy, Chevy Chase, Demi Moore, and Dan Aykroyd take off on this horror spoof through an east coast junk yard they will never forget. I don't remember ever laughing so hard at a movie that is not funny at all. The script is so absurd I found myself rolling on the floor laughing, it was so bad. I believe the cast did the best they could with the material they had, but really......My hat is off to anyone who could stomach this one twice, but if you want a real laugh at the movie making machine that has gone completely off the wall, this one is for you. I would suggest consuming large amounts of alcohol, and watching it with a group. Just remember that those rotten tomatoes will not not do your big plasma screen any good.