Colemanation Reviews

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022– )

I don't understand the good reviews

[4/10 · 6 September 2022]

No spoilers and setting aside the complete destruction of Tolkien's work: The acting is terrible. The lead actress seems to believe scrunching up the face displays anger. For some reason.

While some scenes look good, most do not (I'll give the artists the benefit of the doubt on this after reading how Marvel treats theirs). Costume design - I mean, look at Jackson's and look at this.. which costs more? Lol This is just a bad show. I can't figure out HOW it was rushed given the years they've had to work on it, but it feels rushed and cheap. Go watch Jackson's films or, better yet, read Tolkien.

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019)

Not his worst...

[7/10 · 23 November 2019]

This film is a slow burn. The actors are fantastic and the cinematography is great. The story does not move at a normal Tarantino pace as it endeavors to build up characters. There really isn't what I would consider classic Tarantino dialogue. I'm sure some will disagree; just my opinion. The climax is quick and well worth the wait.

I think of this as a "what if" movie that shows the Manson family as the worthless people they were rather than this mythical entity the media made them out to be. It's nice to see such a portrayal. For too long, that loser Manson and his loser friends have had a spot in the collective consciousness as evil incarnate.

This is not Tarantino's best but it's definitely not his worst.

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019)

A good end...

[5/10 · 14 July 2019]

..if it were ending here. (NO SPOILERS) I don't know if they got new fight choreographers for this film, but the fights were not as fluid or believable as the previous two films. You see FAR MORE pulled punches and stabs, and, well, Keanu is 50 something. Halle Berry is downright laughable. I know they are making a 4th, and I will watch when it comes on television. It's a shame as the first two are great in terms of technicality and fights. Those films flew by, this one feels all of its run time.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)

The other end of the spectrum

[5/10 · 5 June 2019]

I would like to have seen what Gareth Edwards had in store for a sequel. I loved his Godzilla and expected a similar atmosphere. However, the studio clearly heard the cries of those who wanted all monster, all the time. As a result, we get a better version of the 98 Godzilla with, somehow, worse CGI.

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Doesn't live up to Infinity War

[5/10 · 24 April 2019]

It just doesn't. It's not that this is a bad movie. It's entertaining and nostalgic. It also does cap off the story in a good way. However, there were a bunch of fan theories online before this movie came out that would have made for a far more interesting adventure. Captain Marvel did not need to be there and I think that Disney made a huge mistake with that character (and, especially, "actress"). I'm not going to spoil anything, so I'll just leave it there. Worth a watch, sure. Infinity War was hundreds of times better in story and execution.

The Standoff at Sparrow Creek (2018)

So close to amazing.

[5/10 · 19 January 2019]

There is an amazing film here that the writer/director didn't actually get on film. The cast is solid and the direction is fine. The writing falters here and there. There are story lines that needed to be fleshed out a bit. Some of it seems a little implausible but only because there isn't enough attention given to details. I'm not bashing the writer/director. He did a fine job; better than most would. I actually look forward to what he has in store. I just can't help but feel this could have been a mind-blowing film in more, I dunno, seasoned hands.

Deadpool 2 (2018)

Eh

[5/10 · 20 May 2018]

I guess all of those giving this film a 9 and 10 were high or saw a different movie. It had its funny moments, sure. There are some great scenes. But if you are going into this expecting Deadpool, prepare yourself. I know a franchise needs to grow and expand and blah, blah, blah. This sequel went sideways for no good reason. Cable is great I wonder why they had to mirror Cable rather than let Cable be Cable. A lot of the direction doesn't make sense. But, clearly, people enjoyed it and it made a lot of money so good job. Its worth a watch. I just wouldn't pay the money to see it in theater again. Wait for the DVD.