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ronniehrubin
Reviews
True Detective (2014)
SEASON 4 RATING- NIGHT COUNTRY
What a disaster this season was. Just one likeable character, and that was young Prior. My wife and I only continued past the second episode to find out how the scientists died. And what a waste of our time this season truly was when we found out. If you are wondering if you should still watch this series, let me be clear; Don't Waste Your Time! This season was Horrible. Both my wife and I are fans of Jodie Foster, but her character is completely unlikeable. The Navarro character isn't bad, but not interesting enough to care what happens to her. That is not an acting issue, that is a writing issue. So the next season must have better writing or there is no chance of us watching it. And for goodness sake, DO NOT revisit the fake town or Ennis, Alaska.
The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)
Complete Waste of Time
My gosh! What was the studio thinking when they gave the go-ahead to release this complete garbage. Did they watch the finished product and say, "yes, this is great, let's release it asap"? Exactly how many kids did they audition before they decided Jaden Smith was cast? 2, 3 kids? And didn't they see Smith's audition and realize what a horrible actor he is? And let's discuss the screenplay! How did anyone approve this junk to be filmed? Guessing many people got fired after the release of this movie. It was horribly written, directed and acted. Can't imagine any preview audiences liked this piece of junk. Don't waste your time on this one.
The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy (2023)
Love Levy and Fun Episodes (except Utah)
Not a real fan of documentaries, but I really love watching Levy in almost anything. My sister-in-law suggested to my wife that we watch this and I'm glad she did. There is nothing heavy about this series and at 35 minutes each episode, they fly by (with one exception, which I will get to). Levy truly hates traveling and you can see it in his mannerisms. But that is what makes this engaging. The one episode you can skip is when he visits Utah. For reasons unknown to anyone, the producers told Levy, a Canadian, he needed to visit the desert in America and they decided Utah was the best place. WRONG! So many other locations would have produced a much better (meaning not boring) episode. Anyway, all the other episodes provide Levy with chances to come up with some funny lines and that is what makes this series worth watching (except the Utah episode).
Wielka woda (2022)
Boring and Slow
All the high ratings on this show are due to the final 2 episodes, which are the only ones with some suspense. The first 4 episodes are just slow and boring. According to the legend at the beginning of the series, the only aspect of the story that is true is the flooding, and of course, the locations. Everything and everyone else in this series is fictional. Sometimes, that is not necessarily a bad thing, but in this case, it was bad. The acting was fine, but the writing was sub-par. And the story made some so-called experts seem incompetent, but no resolution at the end if they were or not. The story was just boring and too slow (until the final 2 episodes).
Quantum Leap (2022)
Not Great & Annoyed
So far the stories are just okay. I hope they get better. And I'm sorry, but Mason Alexander Park as the character "Ian" is just annoying. Every scene he is in I see an actor "acting", I don't see the "character". That is annoying. And just because Mason is non-binary in real life doesn't mean his character has to be non-binary. I was a huge fan of the original as, like many of us, I'm a fan of time travel. And many of the early shows were not that great and the stories got better as the series continued. Let's hope the same thing is true for this one. As far as bringing Bakula back as Sam, that would probably happen when the show needs viewership to continue.
How Do You Know (2010)
What a waste of time!
Let's get right to it. Chemistry between the actors; a BIG FAT ZERO! Comedy writing; another ZERO! Directing; sorry Mr. Brooks, another zero! Huge fan of all the main actors and of Mr. Brooks, but this movie goes nowhere slow with no sense of direction. I can't figure out how this missed with all this talent. I guess they all figured that with James L. Brooks' recent success, they may as well sign up. Well, like the title of my review says, don't waste your time. There is maybe, maybe one funny scene in the whole movie. Just so disappointing! I watched this because it was streaming on Netflix as one of their top movies. I can't figure out why. Just horrible.
Better Call Saul (2015)
Terrific Prequel / Sequel (kind of)
Talk about quality writing, directing and acting. This show had it all. There are 2 issues with this series that, in my opinion, puts it just below Breaking Bad. The first issue is the character of Chuck McGill, Jimmy's older brother. The actor that played him was terrific, but the character wins the award as THE most annoying male character in TV history. And the second issue is the first season and a half there were quite a few scenes in some episodes that, in my opinion, did not add to the story (and a little slow). But once the series gets to the final 2 or 3 episodes of season 2, it really takes off. Other than those 2 issues, I loved this series. One more issue; The final 6 episodes of the final season has been described as a kind of mini-sequel for Breaking Bad as Saul/Jimmy/Gene's story is brought to completion. But actually, it's not a real sequel to BB as we already know what happens to the main characters of BB; Walter White we know from the series finale and Jessie we know from the movie El Camino. Anyway, if you are unsure about watching it, and you are a fan of Breaking Bad, (and if you are reading this, you probably are), then I suggest you watch it. Yes, the first season and a half are tough to get through, but as I say above, once you get to the end of season 2, you will not be disappointed.
You Don't Know Me (2021)
4 Episode Series that should have been told in 2 episodes
This series suffered from too many scenes that had NOTHING to do with the plot of the show. The idea of the show was intriguing, but just wasted energy on scenes not relevant. Sure, it's nice to see character development, but the MC is in a courtroom telling his story to the jury. The judge would have told him numerous times to skip the silly stuff and get to the point. Sorry, good idea, bad execution. Good acting and directing, but not tight enough on the writing.
West Side Story (2021)
Good, but not 1961 good.
Huge Spielberg fan here. But I just could not get the original out of my mind while watching this movie. Sure, the productions, the dancing and the songs are great! But, to me, some of the actors just didn't have the screen chemistry the original had. And it's my opinion the "America" production just didn't measure up to the first one. It was nice to include spectators, but just not as good as the original. I guess if there was never an original, my rating would be higher. But I can't in good conscience go higher than 6.
Don't Look Up (2021)
What a BIG disappointment
It gets 3 stars due to the terrific cast and director and the running joke about the general charging for free snacks. Otherwise, this is a very big disappointment. I won't get into the politics as that is not important to me. A movie like this with this cast I'm expecting (hoping?) it to be a re-watchable movie. For me, this will be my only viewing. The writing was just dumb. It's not a bad idea, not a new one of course, but one that could use another swing at to see if it's a hit. Sadly, the writers and director swung and missed. As my title says, a BIG disappointment.
Finch (2021)
Borrring!
Huge Tom Hanks fan here. Castaway (which this movie is like) is one of my favorite movies! But this one, which really has only one human in the film, started okay, but went downhill very fast. Not sure why so many high ratings. Guessing it's due to the fact that Mr. Hanks is so watchable in just about anything he's in. But the storyline was just too boring and even his presence is not enough to recommend this. Oh well, they can't all be gems! Looking forward to his next film.
Nine Perfect Strangers (2021)
BOOORRRING!!
I could not wait for this series to end so I could rate it and then post a review on IMBD!
It's very common for viewers to remember just the last episode of a mini-series and then say what a great show it was, completely forgetting the tedium they had to sit through to get to the finale. This is EXACTLY what happens with Nine Perfect Strangers. Yes, the final episode was a good one, but the previous 7 were complete stinkers. I gave it a 2 rating as the acting was terrific. But the story was just plain boring. I did not and will not read the book, but I didn't read "Big Little Lies" either and I loved that series (same author).
I'm not going to summarize the plot, but if you like watching TV show that are slow moving, have little to no suspense and people being depressed, then this series is for you. If none of that interests you, don't waste your time with Nine Perfect Strangers. Just my opinion.
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
Disappointed
This is quite the disappointment. I really enjoyed the first WW and have re-watched it a few times. I will NEVER re-watch this one. The story is just plain silly. I'm not going to criticize any of the actors as the script is horrible. In fact, it's not worth re-hashing it here. Couldn't you producers realize this would bomb when you read the final script? You didn't need to give it a go just to get this made! The viewing audience would have happily waited for a much better plot. Here's hoping the next installment is much, much better. In short, don't waste your time on this one! Re-watch the first one if you need a WW fix!
Blackhat (2015)
Another Michael Mann Failure
Not sure about the rest of you, but it's my opinion that with the exception of the movie "Collateral" with Tom Cruise, there isn't one movie Mr. Mann has directed that is any good. This movie, "Blackhat" is no exception. The jumpy camera work completely ruins the viewing of this movie. Now he didn't write this movie, so I can't blame him for the awful dialogue. But his direction during the dialogue scenes is horrible as well. There is no reason to discuss the waste of talent in this movie as the writing and directing just ruins whatever pleasure you might think you will get (and there's no pleasure). There is more to criticize, but instead I will leave you with 4 words; DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME!
The Rhythm Section (2020)
Bad Directing, Writing and Acting- Otherwise, great film!
I hope everyone gets the sarcasm in my review title. I'm a big fan of Ms. Lively, but this is just too bad for anyone. Horrible direction; way, way, way too many shots of actors up-close when the scene is really best shown wider. Also, the writing is horrific. The author of the book helped or just wrote by himself this movie, but he didn't do himself any favors. The acting by everyone is just bad, but honestly, they are hampered by the poor direction (and as I mentioned already, the poor writing). In a real test of how much I liked or disliked this movie, I would never re-watch it again. I have four words for you if you are still thinking of watching this movie; DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME.
Displacement (2016)
Horrible Direction and Dialogue & Very Boring
Like many of you that have watched or are considering watching this movie, I'm a time-travel movie fan. Guessing for most of you, the first "Back to the Future" movie is probably one of your favorite movies. Well, I made it through 40 minutes of this time-travel movie and could not continue. The dialogue was horrible which made the directing horrible. Unfortunately, this also contributed to horrible acting as well. The MC was unwatchable. She may very well be a good actress with better material and maybe a better director. The movie tells us there's a displacement in time that can only be fixed by the MC's thesis equation. I could not finish to find out what happens, as the movie was just way too slow and boring! Sorry, but I cannot recommend this time-travel movie.
Horrible Bosses (2011)
Terrific, Funny Movie
This is one of the those comedies you can re-watch a few times. There are some very funny bits and the performances are easy to watch. A special nod goes to Colin Farrell. He steals every scene he's in! And to Jennifer Aniston. She plays a very sex-crazed dentist to the hilt! Just terrific. This movie was made and released long before any Kevin Spacey stories, so however you may feel, don't let that spoil this movie. He's terrific in it as well. The 3 main characters appear to be having lots of fun in their respective roles and the outtakes seem to back this up. Let's not forget Jamie Foxx in a role that is steeped in stereotype but not exploited. Oh, a little extra here; Meghan Markle has a quick cameo as a FedEx Driver. If you need to laugh, and during this pandemic who doesn't, watch this movie!
The Queen's Gambit (2020)
EXCELLENT! RIVETING! SPECTACULAR! TERRIFIC!
Okay, I want to try to make this short and sweet. I've been trying to think of way to show how much I love this show and at the same time show my appreciation to the producers of this series. I hope this works!
WATCH THIS SHOW! You will not be disappointed. If you love chess, watch this show! If you love terrific writing, watch this show. If you love excellent directing, watch this show. If you love riveting acting, watch this show. If you love spectacular production, watch this show.
The lead actress, Anya Taylor-Joy (who plays older Beth), will garner an Emmy nomination and should win. I'm also hoping Isla Johnston, who plays young Beth, gets a supporting actress nomination as well. She was terrific.
I love chess, but my wife does not, but she loved this show as well! I have watched it twice in 3 weeks!
One more fact; this show debuted on October 23 2020 and there are almost 1,400 reviews on it already on IMDB. This series has a 100% rating on RT and 8.8 (can't figure out why it's that low) on IMDB. Trust these ratings!
The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)
Hand-Held Camera Directing- Wrong Choice
Like many of you, I'm not a huge fan of hand-held camera directing. It's too bouncy and doesn't allow for wide shots, which we viewers need. The hand-held choice makes it a movie I would not watch a second time.
This isn't a bad story, but nothing you haven't seen before. As the summary states, the client may or may not be guilty of other crimes. No spoilers here, but c'mon!! Also, it's my opinion, Ryan Phillippe is mis-cast. William H. Macy is wasted in this role. I'm a fan of Tomei, so nothing bad about her from me. Matthew McConaughey is steady as the main character, but the directing choice (hand-held) was bad for him.
Everyone I have talked to liked this movie when it came out 9 years ago. It's my opinion everyone liked McConaughey and Phillippe at the time as they were both hot commodities. I gave it 5 stars since it's a middle of the road story with not much of a twist near the end. If you have 2 hours to waste and are curious, take a chance. I've seen worse and have seen much better.
Whisky (2004)
BOOORRRRING!!! If You Can't Sleep, Watch This Movie!!
My wife and I just watched this movie this past weekend and we are stumped how it has so many high reviews, let alone how it won any awards (which it did). This is by far one THE most boring, uneventful movies I've ever watched. The premise of the movie with one brother needing to have a woman pretend to be his wife to show off to his brother is just plain dumb. Umm, wouldn't he have told him he's getting married?? Even if they don't talk much, as implied by the movie?? I don't need all my movies to be action movies, but there needs to be some tension and/or movement to make it worth watching and then perhaps recommending. There is little to any movement and absolutely NO TENSION in this movie. And, in my opinion, you just don't care about any of the characters. There are so many other things to say about how bad this movie is, but there's no reason to bore you. Just please take my word and don't waste your time watching this movie. Not unless you need to fall asleep!
Ladies in Lavender (2004)
BOOOORRRRING!!
If you can't sleep, turn this snoozer on. Sure, the acting is great by the 2 leading ladies, but there's little to no plot and ZERO suspense. My wife and I watched it and about half-way thru we looked at each other and said "is something going to happen soon?" We finished it and I can tell you without any spoilers that Nothing Happens. Like I said, if you want to fall asleep, this one is the solution! Another words, don't bother with this one.
Game Night (2018)
VERY FUNNY!
This movie is very funny. Don't look for anything too deep here, it's just a twist on the home murder/kidnapping mystery game nights. Of course there's a twist, but you have to watch it. Listen to the dialogue as there are plenty of one-liners you might miss. Specifically, moles and semen. Like I said, very funny and rewind if you have to re-watch scenes to get some of the jokes. That's always a good sign. My wife and I re-watch this every time it's on regular TV. Guessing you can watch it on NetFlix or Amazon, that way you won't miss out on some of the swearing. By the way, this movie references many other movies, especially Fight Club. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention Denzel. I'm just going to leave it at that!
Ad Astra (2019)
Horrible! Don't believe all the Positive Reviews.
Way, way too boring and a waste of time. The director says "..."the most realistic depiction of space travel that's been put in a movie." Umm, I don't think so. In fact, I know very little about space travel, but the effects looked like 10 years ago.
By the way, what space agency would allow an 80 year old retired astronaut to fly from the Earth to the Moon?? How is that realistic?? Also, what about the Baboons on the marooned space ship. How did they survive?? And what about that car chase scene on the Moon? What did that accomplish?? Nothing and another waste of time. Sorry, but this movie either needed a complete re-shoot or just put on the shelf.
Don't bother spending your hard earned money and seeing this on the big screen, it's not worth it. Just wait for it to show up on any cable or streaming service. And then don't watch it unless you need to fall asleep.
By the way, except for Brad Pitt, all the other "A" list actors spent about 10 minutes (or less) on screen. Not even sure why Liv Tyler was cast as his wife. What a waste of a character. We are not invested in their relationship at all, so why even have the scenes. This movie is about 2 hours and should have been about 80 minutes. But that would NOT have made it better, only shorter. Very, very disappointing.
Succession (2018)
Unlikable Characters (Except Main)
When I watch a movie or a TV show, I have to like some (or most) of the characters, otherwise I don't care what happens to them. Well, after 50 minutes of the first episode, there was only one character I liked and that is the Dad (Brian Cox). Not one other character was, in my opinion, worth spending time to watch this show. There were all so incredibly unlikable. Sure, they say it's a TV show about a dysfunctional family, but if I want to watch a truly dysfunctional family where I dislike all the characters, I will just turn on the Kardashians. Sorry, but no more "Succession" for me.
Seinfeld: The Little Kicks (1996)
FUNNIEST. OUTTAKE. EVER.
The plot of this episode is good and, of course, we all laugh at Elaine's "dancing". And Jerry's line about not being able to work under these conditions, regarding his piracy methods, is definitely a take on the entertainment business. But the truly funny part of this episode is what's not on this but on the outtakes. If you haven't seen it, YouTube "Elaine fights Mr. Costanza" and prepare to laugh and laugh. This outtake ranks right up there with the Tim Conway ad-lib outtake on the old Carol Burnett show. And if you haven't seen that one, YouTube as well.