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Reviews
Cracker: Nine Eleven (2006)
One long, anti-American screed
Absolutely HORRIBLE way to end an otherwise stellar series. Terrible to both British and American troops, accusing THEM of being the terrorists. Also extremely disrespectful to Americans who supported the troops, as well as perpetuating to stereotype of the EXTREME Ugly American. Frankly, I wasn't saddened by the murders, since they were Americans BASHING America on foreign soil - also, they made it plain that they considered themselves SUPERIOR to "other" Americans because they were from New York. The episode was complete poltical garbage from start to finish and a shame to go out on that note.
Merlin (1998)
Only one misstep ...
Isabella Rosselini is WAAAAAAY too old (and obviously so) for the role of Nimue. But otherwise, a beautiful and entertaining retelling of the Arthur legend with an all-star cast.
Jurassic World Dominion (2022)
Not as bad as the critics say ...
My review of "Jurassic World: Dominion." It was ... okay. Not as bad as the critics say, but not a masterpiece, either. It was fun. Unlike last year's "Ghostbusters" where the originals got about 10 minutes of screen time. The three original JP characters were a major part of this storyline. Sam Neill and Jeff Goldblum are still "hot" for 70-somethings, but Laura Dern has injected so much plastic into her face that she is absolutely unrecognizable! And while 10 or 15 years ago I would have rolled my eyes at the "easy villain" being Big Bio, we all know that's absolutely TRUE now. It was a nice wrap-up with a nice homage to its beginnings. But I'd either see it on your movie theatre's cheap day, like I did, or wait for it to be available for home viewing. Not sure it's worth FULL price admission.
Dino Dana (2017)
Ugh!
A girl who obviously takes some sort of hallucinogenic drugs is surrounded by enablers who fail to get her the mental help she obviously needs. Her obsession makes her selfish and heedless of the effects on those around her. But my 4 year-old grandson loves it.
Shetland: Episode #3.6 (2016)
One glaring, unanswered question
Without revealing whodunit, I have to say that the one loose thread they didn't tie up was how the killer knew to contact Calvin via the anonymous e-mail. Without that, the ending wasn't 100% complete.
The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D (2005)
"Alice In Wonderland" rip-off
... with shades of "The Wizard of Oz." I have been introduced to some pleasant surprises by my 3 and 4 year old grandsons' viewing requests, but, dear God, this one makes me wish for the sweet release of death when they ask for it!!!
1917 (2019)
Stunning!
It was ... stunning. First, the claustrophobic recreation of the trenches and the horror of the battlefield were so realistic, I SWEAR I could smell the death. (I realized early on that seeing it at a theatre that served food wasn't the wisest idea!) The most striking feature was the nearly 2 hour continuous, seamless take, which meant my heart was pounding and my throat was tight from 5 minutes in when they received their assignment. Added to that was the subtle scoring between the moments of the "hottest" action which was frequently just one continuous chord that just felt like the tension was getting more and more taut, to the point of strangulation. Aside from four recognizable faces in VERY brief cameos, the use of unknowns was also effective, kind of reflective of the anonymity of the common soldier. I can't recommend it highly enough!!!
S.O.B. (1981)
A Near-perfect Satire
I "discovered" this movie on cable in the mid-late 80's and immediately fell in love with it. It's witty, scathingly funny and some of it is so rapid-fire that it requires viewing multiple times to catch all that is being said. I heard some Hollywood type espousing once that "stereotypes are only stereotypes because they're true." We've all seen the stereotypical, ego-centric Hollywood agents and other sycophants portrayed in various movies/shows/etc. but rarely have they all been assembled in one hysterical place and portrayed by such a star-studded rogues gallery! Robert Preston is my favorite as the perpetually drunk/stoned quack doctor, and William Holden's last performance as the aged, burned-out director is particularly poignant when he gives a brief speech of "encouragement" to Felix (Richard Mulligan) about consciously trying to kill himself with drugs, booze and sexual excesses for the past 40 years. So some of the "moments of truth" are not just realizations about the business itself, but about the actors playing the roles. An all-around great movie.