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Reviews
The Old Man (2022)
Entertaining but flawed.
The show is entertaining. Jeff Bridges and John Lithgow elevate the material and make this way better than it has any right to be. That being said, Hollywood writers live in a complete fantasy world when it comes to their understanding of Islamic culture and Abrahamic religions in general. Their attempts to overlay the western world's "Girl Boss" paradigm onto the Middle East is laughable. Having spent a lot of time in Egypt, arguably the most liberal of Islamic countries, this story becomes completely unbelievable in season 2. There is absolutely no way the women in this series would have the positions of authority over men as depicted. It's unfortunate that they couldn't figure out a way to tell the story in a more believable manner and depict the Middle East and Islamic culture more accurately. Unfortunately, this feels more like cartoonish fantasy fiction in an alternate universe where women lead Islamic society.
Trap (2024)
More of the Man Bad, Woman Good trope
In case you forgot or haven't been bludgeoned over the head enough from Hollywood lefties...men are bad always and women are good, righteous, and practically holy. Then there's a ridiculous cat and mouse story, M. Night showcases family members via a concert. And by the way, men are bad, women are good. Ridiculous third act. Girl boss, and let's not forget, men are bad, women are good. So, to wrap up this review, remember, men are bad, bad, bad, women are gooood! I hope you bone heads understand. Girls are good and men are evil. Let's get that straight so there's no misunderstanding. Men, you are bad, and you'll never be good. Women you are good and men are bad. Credits roll.
Prometheus (2012)
Gorgeous ... and stunningly dumb.
Alien and Aliens are both cinematic achievements that set the bar for SciFi Horror and SciFi Action respectively. This may have set the bar for a new genre, SciFi Inane? The characters are unlikeable and paper thin with stereotypes that make no sense for "scientists". Having an Engineering degree and working around scientists my entire career, I have no idea where they came up with these sophomoric character types. The decision making skills once they land on the planet surface is comedic. I'm not sure this is what the director intended. I actually went back and rewatched Alien Resurrection which is widely regarded as the worst of the franchise and I think it's plot and character hold together better than this mess. It is gorgeous to look at. The opening shots are awe inspiring on a big screen. But ultimately it's difficult to pay attention to because the plot is stupid beyond belief.
True Detective: Night Country: Part 4 (2024)
Season 4 is terrible compared to Season 1
The story seemed promising at first. The obvious nod to John Carpenter's classic, The Thing, gave me hope this was going to be an interesting season. Things went downhill fast. The scriptwriting is sophomoric compared to season 1. The characters are poorly written, uninteresting, and unlikeable. The co-lead actor, Kali Reis, does not have the acting chops to be paired with Jodi Foster. There's also an obvious anti-male sentiment that makes this difficult to tolerate. I'm slogging through the episodes, trying to give it the benefit of the doubt, but it's difficult. Premise is good, but the execution is rough.
The Creator (2023)
Better than expected!
This movie completely surprised me. Far better than I expected. John David Washington's acting is a bit flat. But the world building and ideas that are setup in the first act are phenomenal. Madeleine Yuna Voyles is a scene stealer! She sells the emotional beats perfectly. The cinematography is beautiful. Every scene feels believable. The fusion of high tech and organic environments is gorgeous. Gareth Edwards does a great job with the first two acts. Act 3 has some flaws and obvious plot holes. But I still highly recommend this movie. What they've achieved with the modest budget is far better than it should be. There are some typical Hollywood tropes (white Americans are evil). But for the most part it doesn't feel too "preachy".
The Slammin' Salmon (2009)
Mildly amusing
I was in the mood for something funny and saw this in the listing on FreeVee. Checked the IMDB ratings and it was listed as 6.4 which meets my minimum threshold to give a try. This was moderately amusing. I smiled occasionally. No really big laughs. The humor is a bit sophomoric and vulgar for vulgarity's sake. If you're easily offended, you may want to steer clear of this one. Michael Clarke Duncan owns every scene he's in and delivers some of the funniest dialogue in the movie. This was funny enough to watch from start to finish. But I'll probably never watch it a second time. Good enough, not great.
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
Tom Cruise makes great movies!
Tom Cruise just gets it. He understands how to make entertainment that doesn't alienate and talk down to half of his potential audience. This is the perfect example of why Mission Impossible will make money and Dial of Destiny will tank. The hero of MI isn't belittled by his female costars. In anything made by Disney, the male protagonist will be belittled and derided by every other cast member. Normal people don't like to see the hero of the film treated like a buffoon. Tom Cruise gets what audiences want to see and delivers the goods. The action sequences in this movie are amazing. The story about AI going rogue are timely. Great movie. Great fun. Looking forward to part 2!
From: Lullaby (2023)
Frustrated over wasted potential
This show reminds me of the decline of Lost. Season 1 started off with an interesting premise and some real potential for mystery, horror, and sci-fi elements. But alas, this has devolved into scenes with two people in a room contorting their faces and delivering dialogue that is over the top melodramatic garbage. All the interesting elements of the story have stopped to give way to the soap opera elements. The acting and dialogue is sophomoric. The only way they show emotion is by dropping F-bombs. I guess that's how we as the audience are supposed to know it's sincere, heart felt emotion from the actors. This show has devolved into a steaming pile of hot garbage.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
Far better than I remembered!
I originally saw this as a 9 year old boy when it was released. At the time I didn't understand the themes. I was interested in the spaceships. As an adult, I used to skip this one and gravitate towards the Nick Meyers Star Trek films. They were more "swashbuckling" type flicks. I recently rewatched Star Trek The Motion Picture and was blown away by how well the practical effects and cinematography have held up. The themes are profound, exploring the search for our creator and meaning in the universe. Much better than anything being produced by Hollywood today. If you haven't seen this movie before or it's been a long time, give it a shot.
The Leftovers (2014)
Infuriating waste of time.
This show, while beautifully shot and having great production value is infuriating. Over the course of three seasons we see characters repeating the same mistakes over and over and over. It feels like they never truly grow. We get lost of angst, wistful looks, and crying from all the main characters (along with dialogue that is littered with f bombs) which apparently is meant to make us feel something for these characters and believe in their sincerity. For me, it just filled me with disdain for these wretched people. I think the only character I had any pity for was Matt's wife, Mary. Everyone else in this world is morally reprehensible. I feel like I wasted 30"ish" hours of my life watching this series and I'm glad it didn't go more than three seasons. Just like Lost, Damon Lindeloff introduces a bunch of mysterious elements that never get a good explanation. They leave everything open ended and confusing so the audience is left to draw their own conclusions. Some people think this is a brilliant way to tell stories. I think it's lazy.
The Leftovers: The Book of Nora (2017)
Over rated and frustrating!
Thirty hours of my life I'll never get back. This series is beautifully shot. The music is excellent. The mysterious elements are engaging. But ultimately it is very unfulfilling. Just like Lost, the weird mysterious elements are never fully explained. Instead we get three seasons of people that live in misery because they can't deal with loss. Did they really need three seasons of emotionally broken people crying every five minutes and never having any personal growth? Maybe people in Hollywood are really this miserable and need to put their misery on display for the world to see? Maybe it's a cry for help? I have a feeling the creators of this series are miserable people who are tortured because they can't decide if they want to be people of faith or atheists. Do yourself a favor and listen to a sad country song if you want to feel miserable and skip this series. At least with the song you'll only have wasted a few minutes of your life.
U.S. Marshals (1998)
Underrated follow up to The Fugitive
This was an excellent follow up to The Fugitive that should've started a franchise. The team of U. S. Marshals is an engaging bunch that would've been wonderful to follow on more adventures while Tommy Lee Jones was in his prime. Unfortunately that didn't happen. This film was under appreciated by both critics and audiences. The practical and miniature work in the big set pieces holds up well even today. The international espionage angle makes this chase story unique compared to the previous film and it's well worth the watch. Much better than most modern movies. The plot is engaging, the characters are unique, the dialogue is believable and the script is tight. Give this one a chance if you've never seen it.
Prey (2022)
Mixed bag of good and bad.
Prey was better than I expected but still has the typical "woke" Hollywood problems. I like the female protagonist. She uses her wits (primarily) to overcome her adversary. However, in typical Hollywood fashion, we see a 90 pound female overpower several men who are twice her body mass in multiple scenes, defying the laws of physics and logic. It's also unbelievable that Comanche's would allow a woman to hunt with men. Or that a female Comanche of this period would even desire to be a hunter. The French trappers are cartoonishly bad. The CGI is laughable, especially the bear attack sequence. I also don't understand how the Predator doesn't have laser weapons even though it has laser targeting systems??? Why does this Predator look so different from the original movie version? There are some good things about this movie. The fighting sequences between the Predator and the French trappers is enjoyable. The final fight sequence is also satisfying. I think this movie would have been better with a male lead character who was the younger brother having a sibling rivalry with his older, better, hunter brother. In this scenario, the young men would be seeking the approval of their father who was the chief of the tribe. Nevertheless, it's a mixed bag that can keep you distracted for 90 minutes.
Old (2021)
Better than expected
I avoided seeing this movie based on the terrible reviews. Once it was available on HBO Max, I figured it wasn't costing me anything, so why not give it a chance. I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, the dialogue is terrible at times. Yes, there are plenty of plot holes. However, the premise is original and interesting. Feels like an extended Twilight Zone episode. Maybe one of the reasons critics and audiences reacted negatively to this was the message about science and pharmaceutical companies doing unethical research for profit, with the end justifying the means. I can see how this may have been taken offensively during the pandemic hysteria. In any event, it was much better than expected. Not one of M. Night. Shyamalan's best movies. But it's far better than Lady In The Water.
Nope (2022)
Narrative mess
Went into this movie with high expectations based on the IMDB aggregated review score. I didn't read or watch any reviews in advance, just saw the 7.5 rating and blind bought tickets for my wife and I. What a disappointment. This movie is a narrative mess. There are several threads that never quite get pulled together in a way that feels satisfying. You never feel an emotional bond between Otis Sr. And his children. After his death, we're not shown a funeral and it seems like both his kids, OJ and Emerald don't have any emotional response to his death. Other characters are introduced with backstory that's never really tied into the main story arc. Apparently all this is a commentary on how Hollywood abuses people, but for us commoners that aren't entrenched in Hollywood, how are we supposed to make those connections without context. This movie also has some serious pacing issues. The first 2 acts move at a glacial pace. The finale is pretty unsatisfactory, I don't understand the character motivation to get this thing on film. Especially following their narrow escape after it takes out the Jupiter crew and they know it eats people. Why does eating a big inflatable cowboy blow the monster up? Who knows. I gave this movie a 5 because the cinematography and sound design are on point. But the story itself is about a 3 or 4. Don't waste your money at the theatre, wait for it to hit streaming services.
The Meg (2018)
It's fun if your expectations aren't too high.
Don't try to take this movie seriously or expect it to be fine cinema. This is a B action/comedy/monster flick with a better budget. It could almost qualify as a parody of monster/action movies. Jason Statham plays a caricature of himself. Rainn Wilson's character is a parody of Jeff Bezos. The pace is quick, production value is solid, with just enough plot to string together some decent set pieces and humorous dialogue. With the right expectations, this is a fun watch.
Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)
In the 90s this would be straight to home video fare
Back in the 90s, Disney specialized in exploiting their properties via direct to home video cash grabs. Produced on low budgets, they typically had cheap looking VFX, sloppy editing, bad acting, and most obvious of all, terrible writing. Fast forward to 2022. Disney is replicating that process again with streaming "content". If Obi-Wan would have been made in the 90s, it would have been a straight to VHS release with a target audience of under 12 children. The writing is objectively bad. The production value looks "cheap" for a Star Wars property. And the acting falls in line with the poor script writing. The only way to fix Disney and force them into making better content is to stop rewarding them financially for this garbage. I'm canceling Disney plus and refusing to go to the cinema to watch their movies until they change direction.
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Moviemaking done right!
Awesome! Nostalgic, unapologetically pro-American, and absent of the typical Hollywood virtue signaling. The stunts flying feels visceral. Practical effects are hands down better than the cartoon fare being pumped out of the MCU. I hope Hollywood takes note and returns us to this type of filmmaking. This is the first movie in a long time I was pleased to see in the theater rather than stream at home.
The Batman (2022)
Good but could've been better
This is a good movie, but it's a bit overrated.
The good:
1. Cinematography
2. Casting all around is great
3. Generally good plot
The bad:
1. Way too long. Judicious editing could've easily dropped 30 minutes or more without sacrificing the story.
2. The usual Hollywood virtue signaling over white privilege.
3. Sound design made it difficult to hear the dialogue. This seems to be the new trend in big budget movies. I had to watch with subtitles on.
4. Too brooding. Even in dark, gritty movies you need to take a breath every once in awhile. This is unrelentingly morose.
Overall it's worth watching, but it could've been better.
The Amber Ruffin Show (2020)
Who is the target audience?
This isn't funny. Is reverse racism supposed to be humorous? Who is the target audience this is intended to reach? Peacock seems to push an advertisement for this during every commercial break. It's cringe inducing at best.
The Village (2004)
Unduly criticized
This film is far better than anything coming out of Hollywood over the last 5 years. The production design is beautiful. The script is tight. The acting is engaging. The sound design is chilling. The pacing is perfect for the type of story being told. I've rewatched this several times and appreciate it more each viewing.
Suspicion (2022)
Not bad until the big reveal about the bad guys.
Spoiler alert: This was not bad until episode seven when the big reveal about the "The Truth" was revealed. Of course as is fashionable, the baddies are a big energy company and the PR company hired to cover up "climate change." Since "climate deniers" are vilified by 99.9% of the mainstream media, this shocking cover up makes no sense. And it comes off as preachy and hackneyed.
Exit 0 (2019)
Interesting premise but ultimately fails
The basic plot of this film is solid. It feels almost like a Twilight Zone or Outer Limits episode. Unfortunately, the decent plot is foiled by amateur cinematography, poor sound, uncomfortably awkward dialog, and weak editing. 1. Cinematography looks like it was shot on a camcorder. Color grading is mismatched throughout the film. Several outdoor scenes have blown out highlights. There's also an awkwardly shot scene with the main character and the detective where the 180 degree rule is broken multiple times and it's jarring to say the least. 2. Lots of scenes are shot with noisy room dialogue. 3. The dialogue is not like natural speech. Characters deliver their lines with awkward pauses waiting for the next character to deliver their lines. Not at all like people really speak. 4. This film needs to be cut down by 30 to 45 minutes. Far too much dead time on the screen with nobody speaking.
Bottom line - good premise with bad execution.
Archive 81 (2022)
Poor pacing and hollow acting.
The concept is reasonable for a cult, horror, mystery. However, the pacing for the story is wildly inconsistent from episode to episode. They should have stuck with one director, preferably Justin Benson for the entire series to have a more consistent tone and pacing. The other major issue is the believability of the lead actors. Mamoudou Athie and Dina Shihabi are probably fine actors. But I never felt connected to them emotionally enough to suspend disbelief. Both of these characters feel hollow. I never felt emotionally invested in the well being of either lead character. I don't know if this is the fault of the actors, the director(s), or the script. (Dropping F-bombs constantly doesn't pass for good writing.) Consequently between the pacing and the lack of sympathy/empathy for the characters, I fell asleep in almost every episode. The premise has the potential to be much more engaging, but the execution misses the mark. It' just okay.
American Underdog (2021)
Why can't more movies be this uplifting?
I loved this movie. I knew nothing about it going in. I don't watch football. I had no idea who Kurt Warner was. The love story between Kurt, his wife, and her children is the most positive, powerful, and uplifting thing I've experienced at a movie in a very long time. If you want to see something that goes against the grain of everything Hollywood has pumped out in the last few decades, see this movie.