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Freud's Last Session (2023)
Fiction posing as history
This is not a story of Sigmund Freud and C. S. Lewis. It's a fictional narrative of an American's (presumably agnostic) imaginary conversation between his fictional idea of Freud and Lewis. The author obvious knew very little about either Lewis or Freud, and promoted several unfounded myths about each, as fact.
While Matthew Goode is a fine actor, he played the role in a very un-British way (I'm assuming this is because both the writer and director are both American, and Goode was limited by this) and lacked the British, specifically oxbridge, calm dignity.
Hopkins, as well, seemed to lack the more harsh Austrian personality that would have made the dialogue much more believable.
In the end it's not a study of Freud or Lewis, but of the imagination of the author, which I found seriously lacking.
Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2023)
I enjoyed it.
The story didn't have the pizzazz of most movies, but it did have an easy to follow and compelling plot. As we watched it I kept saying, "Looks like they borrowed that from ____." My son would respond, "I was thinking the same thing." I'm not one to criticize a move for having similarities to other movies, because if an idea is good, it's worth copying, and trying to do better.
I saw elements of Infinity War, Dune, The Seven Samaria, and I cold probably list a dozen others. At most it seemed like a very loose retelling of The Seven Samurai, but a well done one.
This part left more than enough loose threads to be resolved in the second part. I was thinking it felt like it was based on a novel, but the writing credits (which Zack Snyder got top billing) were all for the screenplay.
Well worth the watch.
Leverage: Redemption: The Fractured Job (2022)
Extremely poorly written...
Setting aside the glaring factual errors, the entire plot was cheaply contrived and amateurish. It's a shame, because the original series had a lot of creative ideas and plots. Rather than the kind of creative climax the original series was known for, this series seems to rely on hastily scribble, pulp hack endings that would be more appropriate for a comic book. What's worse is the writers having the "good guys" using the same sleazy, underhanded tricks the bad guys use. This gives a miserable ethical conundrum where we have one set of liars fighting another set of liars with no real definition of why one would be better than the other.
The Final Countdown (1980)
One of the single most memorable movies of my lifetime...
The first time I watched it was my freshman year in college, 1981. There were about 7 or 8 guys packed in a tiny dorm room meant for one person. Two of the guys had to sit beneath the TV and watch it on the mirror placed against the bed. It was a 12 inch black and white TV. While that sounds like an uncomfortable way to watch it, it wasn't the screen or the room that made it memorable, it was the audience. Among the guys were several who were historical aviation buffs. They found the concept of a (somewhat) modern aircraft carrier turning up at Pearl Harbor exciting, and regaled us with aviation and historical trivia throughout the movie.
I learn then that it's not the movie or the theater that creates the most enjoyment, but the audience. Their excitement and enthusiasm was contagious and made it the single most enjoyable movie I've watched so far. I would rather see a mediocre movie with an enthusiastic audience than a blockbuster by myself any day.
I mentioned the movie a few years ago, noting the cast and plot and the response was, "How come I've never heard of this?!?"
If you watch it, make sure you gather the appropriate group of friends and hopefully you can enjoy it as much as I did.
I gave it 8 stars because, by itself, it's really worth that. Besides, only Studio hacks trying to spam IMDB give ratings of 10 (and probably a lot of the 9s, as well).
Arrival (2016)
Flop
While the concept was interesting the bulk of the movie dragged slowly and the end totally sucked. I would pass on this one. It's simply not worth the wated time.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022)
Mediocre arory and couldn't resist politics...
One of the biggest complaints about Star Trek has always been their flippant attitude regarding the Prime Directive. This is no exception. VOY was refreshing in its lack of political subtext. This, again, goes back to making snide political jabs. If I wanted bad writing and political fiction, I'd watch CNN or MSNBC.
Firestarter (2022)
Interesting, but not great.
First of this is not a "remake". It's based on the novel not the previous movie.
There's some definite changes from the novel, some good some okay and some not very good. The story was mediocre and the ending was very different that the novel (and the previous movie) and it wasn't the best ending. It seemed they were trying to leave it open for a sequel or a TV spinoff.
God's Not Dead: We the People (2021)
Powerful movie
The acting is sub-par, the editing is a bit off and the story is a touch sensationalist at times, but all in all I enjoyed it. Virtually every over-the-top line by the antagonists is taken word-for-word from things Liberals frequently post or say in public. The movie is an accurate portrayal of the battle going on today. It would have been nice if they'd included mention of the HSLDA, since they are the main reason homeschooling hasn't been totally outlawed by "progressives".
And I still can't figure out why so many Atheists feel the need to down vote movies based solely on the fact that they are Christian. It's almost as if their denial needs to be reinforced with bad behavior to prevent them from looking too closely at reality.
Black Mirror: The National Anthem (2011)
One of the most disgusting tv shows ever
The people that made this show should be jailed for tricking people into watching such drivel. I feel personally victimized by their willingness to create such trash.
Beverly Hills Wedding (2021)
Leave the politics at home.
Hallmark movies are always mediocre. That's not saying they're bad, but that they aren't great. I still watch them, and enjoy watching them, but they provide an hour and a half of mediocre enjoyment. That being said, the content of the movies needs to not dive into controversial areas. This movie was formulaic, predictable which is typical. However, the moment a guy introduced himself as another guy's husband, the mediocrity was overruled by having a controversial political/moral issue shoved down my throat. I turned it off. But I missed how it ended? No, the ending was entirely predictable. My decision to watch any Hallmark movie is balancing on a delicate line between seeing a rehash, reworked, plot that I've seen hundreds of times before and enjoying, maybe a somewhat novel retelling of the exact same story that virtually every Hallmark movie is based on. It doesn't take much to upset that delicate balance, and injecting stuff like that, does it.
Good People Go to Hell, Saved People Go to Heaven (2012)
Propagandist drivel
The gimmick is to film hundreds of hours of interviews, then cherry pick what fits your agenda and "shows" the attitudes and ideas you've decided you want, while tossing the rest. Don't waste your time on this one, it's just another attempt by closed minded bigots to demonize people they disagree with.
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
Disappointingly average and preachy
The story was incredibly weak. The special effects were also poor. Movies studios will often push low-budget, poorly made sequels to cash in on the popularity of the original. This is what they did here.
--Spoilers---
All stories are based on Conflict and Resolution. The Conflict was that people were making wishes without considering the consequences, in other words, they wanted a Resolution without a satisfactory, appropriate or fair reason for the Resolution. Ironically, the Resolution to the plot was achieved without any sort of clarity as to why it was achieved. Suddenly the problem was solved, and we are expected to be happy that it was Resolved, and not question how weak and flimsy the reason for the Resolution was. The very Conflict they presented as the plot was epitomized by the story itself. Cheap Resolution.
Faith Under Fire (2020)
Starts a bit slow then picks up and ends with power...
The acting was a bit mediocre. The writing was a bit contrived, especially at the beginning. There could have been better character development. It started slow but by the midpoint it picked up and became a very powerful movie. Oh, and have tissue handy. You'll need them.
And as for the Atheists and Agnostics who hunt down Christian movies to down vote them, we get it. You're too closed-minded to understand and accept people can believe differently than you. God is a big God and it takes a lot of negative emotional energy to maintain your rejection of Him and that negative energy overflows into the bitterness and anger you pour out on those of us who do not reject Him. But there's something you need to understand. Some movies are targeted to people with specific lifestyle/philosophies/worldviews and those movies not targeted to my core philosophy I don't review since I'm not the target audience, so my opinion is meaningless and irrelevant. Thus your reviews are equally irrelevant.
Wish for Christmas (2016)
Worth watching...
The idea is interesting. The acting is acceptable. The story is a bit weak and the ending a bit anticlimactic. However it makes a good family, Christmas flick. Like a lot of Christian movies the foundational ideology and philosophy is assumed rather than built, which may leave non-Christian viewers a bit confused. Nonetheless, it's actually a bit better than many Christmas movies I've seen.
Infidel (2019)
Interesting with a few flaws. (spoilers are marked at the end)
First of all let me quickly describe my own movie rating system...
A - Awesome. I want to watch it again, immediately!
B - Pretty good. I'll definitely want to watch it again, later.
C - Okay. If I'm bored someday and it's available I'd watch it again.
D - I consider my time wasted.
F - I either walked out, turned of the player or am kicking myself for not doing so.
I give Infidel a B-.
The story is interesting, mostly plausible and has an acceptable balance between the conflict and the resolution. Jim Caviezal is dependably good in anything he's in. While his character, Doug's behavior is a bit questionable in dealing with other faiths, since he's not actually a Christian leader, but a Christian blogger, that part is reasonable. (I doubt many Christian leaders would have been that blunt on a Moslem TV show, since they'd know it wouldn't be accepted very well). I like that they included Moslems assisting his wife as she tried to get him released. It showed that the problem is not just a religious squabble but actually a political problem where religion is being used as an excuse for political abuse.
I did have a problem with several plot elements left hanging with no resolution. And the character development could have been done better.
SPOILERS....
It's established that Doug's wife Liz (Claudia Karvan) was having a crisis of faith (this was only revealed after she'd used several profanities which was bad timing, making it sound as if Christians normally use language like that). But the movie ended with nothing else being revealed about her loss of faith in God. Did she still blame God, or did she resolve the conflict?
Doug also used profanities, including the F-word, but given the context, they were placed during moments of severe crisis, which hopefully people will understand as weakness, not acceptable behavior.
The character of Ramzi (Hal Ozsan) murders his own daughter, yet the only "punishment" or consequences he ever receives is a punch in the face. That was unresolved conflict which takes away from the ultimate enjoyment of the story.
Cold Pursuit (2019)
Not a complete waste of time
A movie will reflect the ideas of the writer, but the mood and philosophy of the director. This is slightly dark. There's the revenge element that carries the plot, but the plot can be hard to follow. Not enough is explained how the protagonist discovers his next target and there's not really much followup after the climax, to explain what happens to the remaining characters. The story relies on the emotions of grief and anger, but presents it in an atmosphere that mocks any real feelings, which is a distracting contradiction. It was, though, an interesting story, despite how crudely it was conveyed.
Torden (2020)
Medicore movie until the end, then it sucked, bad.
I hate bad endings. They can ruin an otherwise good movie. This was fairly mediocre throughout until the very last scene which turned it into the typical, depressing, European, Doom-and-Gloom story-line where what seems like something exciting turns into a tragedy. The motivation for who ultimately becomes the antagonist is also fairly closed-minded and bigoted, the presumption of religious bigotry.
Little Women (2019)
How do they make a great book a terrible movie?
I've read the book (and loved it) I've seen several other adaptations of the book, and enjoyed them all. This one, however, was just so boring and disjointed, I couldn't follow it. I dumped out after about half an hour. They broke the story up so it doesn't happen in sequence, and assumed the viewer understood what was going on. I have a feeling, from what I'd heard, that they wanted to make the movie a modern Feminist vehicle, so had to drop a lot of what made the story actually good. But apparently all the bots Hollywood sends out to flood with fake reviews really loved it.
The Way Back (2020)
Extremely unrealistic, insultingly so.
A. Would have been a lot better without all the cussing. In fact, they seemed to try to make the cussing a status symbol, as if to say, "If you're cool, you use profanities, a lot."
B. Whoever made this move had absolutely no idea how Christians actually behave. A coach that behaved the way the main character behaved would have been fired after the first game if he was a public school coach. If he'd really been a private Christian school coach he would have been fired in the middle of the first game.
C. There were several moments where they could have made it into a great movie, instead they sidestepped the moment and turned it into a mediocre, confusing movie that seems as if they wanted to go for the "It's confusing because it's 'artistic'" ploy.
D. The woman they cast as Ben Affeck's wife was way to hot and way too young-looking for the role. The actress is only 8 years younger than Affleck, but looked all of 20 years younger.
Ad Astra (2019)
Boring, pointless and meaningless
Hollywood once again show they just don't get sci-fi. They continually create these depressing movies and place them in a sci-fi setting. What a horrible way of looking at the world when you think the future only hold terror, death and meaninglessness. They never bothered to explain why people kept dying, they just killed them off in ludicrous and pointless ways.
Logan (2017)
Raw, Gritty, Tragedy in more ways than one...
Before believing anyone who says this is a great movie, first ask what other movies they think are great. Chances are you'll be very surprised by the answer. Different people like different movies, and this movie appeals to the types of people who relish old, depressing early 70s gritty "reality" flicks. It's violent, it's gritty, it's depressing from the very first scene, and offers a very sad world-view. It seems to have been created by people who despise the optimism and hope that forms the basis of most super-hero movies, who wanted to attempt to ruin the genre with this piece of nastiness.
Legends (2014)
Waste of time
Watched a little over half of the first episode. The characters were 2 dimensional and totally predictable. The plot, idiotic. If you haven't caught my interest enough at the halfway point to want me to devote another half hour to finding out what happened, then you've done a really poor TV show. The character development was waaay too thin, and left little sympathy with anyone. This is usually the result of writers so out of touch with reality that they simply can't create enough of a link to convince people that what is happening is anywhere close to being real. Pretending that pro-gun conservatives are terrorists got old a long time ago. If Hollywierd is too cowardly to portray Muslims as terrorist, then they need to simply not do dramas involving terrorism.
The Veteran (2011)
Terrible movie
I have no idea why England seems to put out the most depressing, not to mention, unrealistic movies, but I should have known better than to have even started watching this dismal waste of film.
To cut to the quick. The bad guy dies, the good guys win, we have no idea what happens to the girl, and ultimately the world is run by evil people and the most you can hope for is that they kill you last. Seriously, why have the writers of this movie not committed suicide already if they see the world as such a dark, hopeless place?
There are so many holes, unanswered questions, loose ends and implausible scenes that you get the impression the writers believe everyone is too stupid to care.
I am angry that I wasted an hour and a half of my life watching this nonsense.
Eden Lake (2008)
Possibly the WORST movie ever!
It started out bad, dragged on through terrible acting, horrible writing and ended with me angry at myself for having wasted the time watching. Do yourself a favor, pass on watching it. The entire premise, including the ending is far-fetched and implausible. The people who made this movie should be ashamed of themselves.
I can think of maybe 2 or 3 movies that came close to being as bad as this. The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover is one. Arlington Road is another.
Perhaps it's British culture, but I'd hate to thing as badly as this movie was written that it could be trusted to portray British people as anything close to realistic. In fact I found the character development to be rather racist and close-mindedly classist.