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Reviews
Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa (2013)
This movie is so good...
I was going to say "I nearly crapped my pants laughing so hard" but that would be embarrassing. It is that funny though. Honestly.
I don't understand why people seem to like the movie and only give it 7 out of 10 stars. It's not a perfect movie, but it had my gut hurting (there it is again) laughing so much. Sometimes the jokes are broad, other times they are very slight -- it's amazing how much Coogan can pack in 3-4 gags without wincing all in one take. Some will sail right past you. This is not a movie with a large story -- it is about playing as many laffs as it can in a "siege" format. I need a better ending to this review. Don't wait for me, just go ahead and watch the film.
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)
Soft Max, but Good Max
I've seen this movie when I was young, when I was older and now that I am old. I still remember this movie being fun. I also remember the viciousness and violence of the first two movies -- Thunderdome is unlike them. But that's okay. This movie had a different spirit, but still with Mel Gibson bringing the magic of Max. I love the huge sets, the imaginative action, the crazy costuming, and plus you get Tina Turner as a dangerous lady mayor. So many famous lines: "Two men enter, 1 man leaves" "Pig killer" "Me Max" "What happened to 2?" Sure it's not a violence fest -- but it's a good, fun movie. Plus that 80s saxophone thing -- not too bad an apocalypse, when you think about it.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)
Not perfect, but one of the stronger Disney+ Marvel series; plus Mackie and Stan are a great buddy team
I re-watched this show after it first came out. My initial objections to parts of it (the villain is hardly a threat) still remain with me, but stuff I liked then and still like are Mackie and Stan's comraderie. They have good energy and aren't over the top like Captain Marvel -- so there's always some danger and struggle for them. The second watching was rewarding and although I will definitely NOT be watching again certain other Marvel/Disney tv series, I like the actors and whole Captain America II grittiness. Even US Agent I think turns out to be an interesting character. Plus, you got to love Zemo and the Wakandans. Weak parts are still weak: Julia Louis-Dreyus' strange comic threat (a threat to all known comedy) and the whole Power Broker thing. Some people dislike the "politics" of the show -- that's what made Captain America 2 so good -- they're just channeling part of it here. It's sad that some people uncomfortable with talk about refugees and social justice, that some people are uncomfortable with discussion of blackness and inequality. The show does a good job tackling those issues -- by precisely giving us a new Captain America to speak about them. Sam Wilson is shaping up to be an inspiring captain. It's more than the shield. I'm hoping we will see a Season 2.
Mei ren yu (2016)
Could have been a GREAT family movie but...
If you're watching this on Amazon, note that there is no English dub track (which is probably a good thing), but unlike another user I read the subtitles flow okay without timing issues. I wished whoever did the subtitles would have toned down the sexist language here, maybe instead b--ch they could have just said "crazy woman" or something?
Anyway, this is a typical Stephen Chow movie -- which means it can be very funny with loopy, oddball characters and performances -- and often nice unguarded moments when Chow lets the actors be dumb, real human beings. Still, his movies lately are very uneven. As another reviewer pointed out, the movie gets violent towards the end and you wonder maybe he could have conveyed "threat" in a different way. Although I love Chow's style and humor, I just wonder who the audience really is for this movie? It seems like certain concessions were made to produce it -- you wish that it could keep 1 tone and stick with it.