riedud Reviews

Sweet Dreams (I) (2024)

Heartfelt comedy-drama.

[8/10 · 20 April 2024]

Johnny Knoxville definitely rocked his acting chops off here and had me tearing up several times as one who has lived with addicts, and been one myself. This movie means well and does not do more than it's intended theme.

While I knew Mr. Knoxville had it in him to act well, he really showed some crazy depth in this movie. Bobby Lee and Theo Von were nice additions but honestly, the other supporting actors really brought it. Don't go into this expecting to laugh your butt off the whole time as the more serious parts could catch you off guard.

Recommend for drama lovers and those looking to get sober and have something to relate to.

The Matrix Resurrections (I) (2021)

Plays like an entertaining Netflix Matrix Special

[6/10 · 26 December 2021]

Solid 6.5 stars. Would be a fun evening with popcorn movie. Solid visuals and decent acting. Do not go looking for any deep meta ideas in conjunction with a few new original concepts written in with the old ones. I liked it better than 2 and 3 but not by mutch. I liked how it made fun of itself noting that perhaps they were not going mega serious with it.

Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)

The high reviews are not wrong here.

[9/10 · 22 March 2021]

I decided to give this a go while traveling to see my son and it made the plane flight extremely forgettable and way more fun. This was excellent, entirely balanced, worth every minute of the 4 hours and very very creative. I'm not the biggest Snyder fan but I would call this his greatest film so far and very good overall. This is a badass comic book movie and up there with the Nolan's Batman's as another favorite DC movie of mine. Hell of a tone, great music, fluid storytelling and awesome cinemaphotography and effects. The character development and depth was really good too. There is no reason to ever watch the original if not maybe for a study in everything that went askew and to compare and contrast. I personally think Ben Affleck's Batman arguably encapsulates the Dark Knight better than anyone before him though many have also done a great job their own. This film did the Justice League and fans justice. Highly recommend.

Me You Madness (2021)

The reviewers must be a new generation because this was fun!

[9/10 · 22 March 2021]

I'm rating this an 9 to help offset the terrible and undeserved low rating, I would give it a solid 7.5. This is fun popcorn movie that is surprisingly witty.

Louise Linton wrote a very creative and fun movie here not taking things entirely too seriously which is the tone I would go into this. The acting was fine and after the first 5 or so minutes the real story and fun starts to unfold. Lot's of great references, creative writing and a cool retro look with matching music. If I could take a stab at the low reviews, I would say that this went right over a lot of heads. It was supposed to be absurd, over the top, romantic and funny at the same time. It also does a good job of implementing morbid themes and somehow keeping it lighthearted, comedic and somewhat sinister. It is completely over the top and has a good pace after the intro. I think for the budget, this movie worked and I would definitely invest more time in other movies with this level of absurd creativity by Louise. If you like retro themes, a little horror, comedy and some silly romance tied in, give this a shot. Don't take it too serious and have a good time, my girlfriend and I did.

The Tax Collector (2020)

David Ayer's laziest piece or he needs to leave L.A. to regroup

[5/10 · 16 August 2020]

This movie had potential but the whole time I kept thinking that it felt very contrived and shallow. Perhaps David let a film intern at the helm and said make a movie like I would then went on vacation. The editing, acting and script were all sub-par. This would have looked better shot on film. Really, the bloods are helping the tax collector for no apparent reason except that he is 'Real?' So dumb...

Ayer's usual gritty, raw and realistic depth is missing here sans a few brief moments from Shia. I think he needs to land better scripts or take a break from the L.A. gangster theme, perhaps try some new backdrops or themes. We saw him stretch himself with Bright and it was great. A good time waster movie but will not remain in my collection.

Arkansas (2020)

Good Crime Drama

[9/10 · 6 May 2020]

I'd rate this a solid 8 especially coming from first time director Clark Duke but these reviewers are skewing the rating far too low so I give it a 9. Clark known for his typical smart-ass roles does a good job putting this movie together which he also acts in. Has it's own noir style and moves well. All the big name actors do a good job on top of a seemingly nice touch of underground southern scenery. Overall entertaining movie for an afternoon or Saturday watch.

Genesis: Paradise Lost (2017)

Faithful telling of the biblical worldview rooted in Genesis

[10/10 · 14 November 2017]

I imagine there will be two types of reviews for this film, those that scoff at the Creation worldview and rate it disingenuously and those that don't. For reference I love movies and have a background in science and design.

This movie delivers it's message in a straightforward and visually stunning way--the basis of life, logic, sin and all science is rooted in what has already been explained for thousands of year in the Bible with it's foundation in Genesis. The film highlights modern contentions and addresses points many laymen or curious bypassers may have not put much thought into regarding origins and science. It also highlights many problems with the dominant worldview held by many--evolutionism or naturalism.

Considering the five year development and socially funded aspect, the film was quite good with a solid production. I did notice that at my theater, the frame rate seemed rather choppy during some of the graphically intense scenes but this may have been due to the projector and hopefully not the film itself. As a Christian whether you agree with the films content or not, it very much delivers on explaining the Christian paradigm in a very tangible and meaningful way.

If you are believer, go see this, if you are curious about a worldview you may have never considered, go see this film.

The Shack (I) (2017)

Really Moving,

[8/10 · 11 July 2017]

I am a conservative Christian and have to admit that I was a little hesitant about watching this because of the mixed messages I got from social media in all of the groups I participate in. I also consider myself a big movie buff and will usually watch just about anything.

I don't know if getting older is making me more emotional but there were parts to this that just had me balling like a baby. I think some of it was the subject matter and the other was how the main theme of the movie was about learning how to be more empathetic to the almighty purpose of God and learning how to accept God's love in spite of the sting, confusion and pain of life.

Any critiques for me would be that Sam Worthington's British accent came through quite a bit and that I would have liked someone cast differently for the Holy Spirit. Other than that, I loved Tim McGraw and the other actors seemed to do pretty well. It was nicely scored and flowed pretty good.

The tragedy in the movie was a tough one to take especially since I have a little one myself, so this is probably not something I would re-watch all the time. For my part, I thought it did perhaps play out as Christian fantasy fiction but that it was perfectly consistent with the biblical message of the trinity, Jesus's sacrifice, His love for us, forgiveness and hope in the next life. Good movie.

Mortdecai (2015)

The abundance of negative reviews hide this fun gem!

[7/10 · 14 May 2015]

Very low expectations going into this one in large part due to the many negative reviews here on IMDb. I usually can get a decent assessment of movies on this site because the general public are giving their two cents of which I can usually trust more than the pompous 'critics' on sites like rotten tomatoes. The insights of the amateur movie critic can be helpful if you know what to look for.

Now I have to say, this was a fun movie. One reviewer on here was bashing all the 'hipsters' for the negative reviews and they may have been on to something. I think many people were not sure how to to take the style of this film. Trade David Koepp's name for Wes Anderson and I guarantee more people would have enjoyed this film. While there were a few minor editing and script points that may not have been as refined as a Wes Anderson movie, the film had an overall air of smartly written levity about it like Wes's films. I gladly give this movie a 7. If I could gripe, I would say that it was a bit long.

Dumb and Dumber To (2014)

A great tribute to the fans and loyal sequel!

[7/10 · 5 November 2014]

Like previous reviewers, my small town was selected for a preshowing of this movie and I could not have been more excited. The original Dumb and Dumber is one of my most favorite throw-on-a-mindless-comedy- movies ever! I went in to this with pretty low expectations because honestly, how do you make a remake of one of the funniest and silliest movies of the early nineties? On top of it, the previews really did not seem to be up to snuff with the original--let me just say that this was done for a reason. The producers did not want to spoil anything. With that being said, like the original, it was fun, silly, dumb and filled with all sorts of crazy shenanigans. Just about every other scene had some sort of wacky antic coming from either Lloyd or Harry and also like the original, this sequel did not take itself too seriously.

I could tell that the Farrelly Bro's and other writers knew they had a big undertaking in creating this movie. The story pays homage to the original many times and lets the viewers know of it's twenty year hiatus. It also does a good job, I think, in respecting it's loyal fan base. While no Oscar winner or best comedy ever, this movie was truly a worthy sequel. For me like the original it's a great movie to sit back and de-stress to.

Predators (2010)

The Predator franchise is a hard one to tackle.

[6/10 · 11 July 2010]

With Robert Rodriguez's name attached to this movie I was completely game and looking forward to this new Predator movie. Reading production notes and the like, it seemed that there was hope for this one to be a great rehash. In the end Predators was a stretched out movie borrowing most of its ideas from the first and ONLY predator film.

I'm a huge fan of the original Predator. What John Mctiernan did with Predator was nothing short of genius which is why I think all of the Predator movies since have fallen short in its wake. In that light here is my opinion of why Predators has ultimately tried and failed.

With science fiction often times less is more. When one has to start asking too many questions the genre losses its appeal. Predators was introducing to many questions into the Predator lore that in my opinion was like re-writing the whole legend itself. Apparently the time and energy to find elite fighters on earth, kidnap them and do it all so that they do not know what is going on is worth the trouble of placing them on a foreign planet in order to hunt them. The mystery of how the predators work in the first movie is what really made it great. We did not know where they came from, how intelligent and so on. Predators offered us a little too much. Keep Predators mysterious! That's why we love them.

Another aspect making Predator a great movie was the outstanding score by Alan Silvestri. A movies score is meant to compliment and help progress the story. In lieu of Alan Silvestri John Debney would be scoring Predators. He said he would incorporate parts of the original score for this film. Well not only did he incorporate but he flat out stole most of the score which to me is fine because I love the original but each movie has its own tone and story which should be accompanied by the right score. John Debney seemed confused about where to take the score with this movie, which I don't blame him because the story was a backyard version of the original movie. Borrowing too much from the original score is not going to make the movie work. Writing an original score perhaps inspired by Alan's could have helped.

I think there also is something to be said about Robert Rodriguez not directing this and only standing by as producer. The use of the right lenses and close up shots was perfectly mixed in Predator however in Predators shots were impersonal and not thought out too well. I felt the director tried to cram too much in many of the shots. Help the actors with the lens, don't leave them bare, fighting for the scene.

Lastly I will say that there were too many characters with too little development for each of them. You can only press a good actor to do so much with a faulty script. It also helps to let the audience figure out the story and not be told directly by the main characters what's going on, we are not idiots Hollywood! I can tell that Robert Rodriguez had the first predator fresh in his mind when he wrote this script because there were many similarities: jungles, falling off waterfalls, hand held mini gun, military folk, come on Robert, shame on you dude.

The movie had some fun moments but in no way was it the kick-butt Predator movie I and so many others were hoping for. 6-6.5 out of 10.

Journey to the Edge of the Universe (2008 TV Movie)

Excellent all the way through!

[10/10 · 24 May 2010]

Walking into this title I was uncertain due to it's completely CGI approach to rendering the various celestial bodies that inhabit our universe. What I found was the animation and story telling absolutely wonderful. Alec Baldwin was good here with his subtle low voice adding a perfect match as we travel through the heavens.

Bearing in mind I have my own views and ideas on origins, this film was still hands down an excellent production. The detailed descriptions of the various planets, stars, nebula, and black holes were all there. The best part about it is that they took you to those places-close up, in the comfort of your living room.

I'm a big fan of shows like "The Universe" and other various science documentaries and I found this to be top notch. Sit back, grab a snack and a cold one and enjoy this fine flick. 5 out of 5 stars and an IMDb 10.

The Road (I) (2009)

Great set design...

[7/10 · 23 December 2009]

To me the best part about this movie was the set design and effects bringing a post apocalyptic world to life. It was done well. I have not read the novel so I was not sure what to expect.

As a passive viewer of the film there were several times when I was wondering when the movie would end. It seemed a little drawn out and aimless. While Viggo Mortensen pretty much kills anything he's in, I thought the actor that played the boy horrible. I cringed every time that annoying kid spoke! The parallels between a top notch actor (Viggo) and the amateur kid was apparent. Unfortunately I even thought Charlize Therons performance a little dry. To me it seemed pointless for Viggo's character to be so passionate about such a helpless whinny boy. The poor kid acted like a 3 year old, not the 11 or 12 year old kid he was portraying Uggh. I would rent this title. I give it a 6.5.

Avatar (2009)

Special effects - Awesome. Story - Shallow and Cliché.

[6/10 · 20 December 2009]

I was very hyped for the opening of Avatar, expecting a high caliber movie. As an avid follower of 3d titles I was especially looking forward to this movie. In short I thought the creativity in making Pandora come to life breathtaking but found the story full of Cliché.

To me it was evident that Cameron had all the new tools of the trade to make Avatar, but just because a director has all the tools to envision a story does not mean he should. Am I saying Avatar should not have been made? No. But what I was surprised about Avatar was the extensive creative work put into a story that seemed to lack any kind of heart and had little character development. Why was the head of security a complete psycho with a destructive bent? Why did the company mining in a far off galaxy lack any kind of human ethic? Why would the military be a part of this operation? I could go on and on.

The 3d part of the movie was OK at best. I feel that movies that are going to utilize 3d should really use that aspect to "immerse the audience" by exploiting the 3d technology. With Avatar there were moments where I felt like the experience would have been the same with or without 3d. The depth to the 3d was shallow and not very intense.

Without being too critical I will finish by saying that I was entertained, and that's what I payed for with Avatar. Was my mind or heart provoked much? Not really. I would see this one at the theater but not own it in my personnel collection.

Terminator Salvation (2009)

Another mediocre Hollywood blunder.

[6/10 · 25 May 2009]

I'll keep it simple. Like Aliens vs Predator, Terminator Salvation lacked the same heart and story as the originals. It also should have kept the R rating of the first two. I'm sick and tired of these crappy Hollywood remakes with no soul and spirit. Lets see some writers and directors with some balls like Christopher Nolan with Batman who can do something good with any franchise and turn it into cinematic gold.

The acting was dry along with the poor story and writing. The best part of the whole movie was the special effects with that alone not able to save an already bad film. In a sense the world audience pays to keep the Hollywood business alive. As a lover of film, I yearn to get a better return for the money I spend to be entertained. And lately this need is rarely meet beyond the dollar rental at redbox.

The Love Guru (2008)

Fun movie to break off Mike Myers movie hiatus.

[6/10 · 23 June 2008]

Being a huge fan of Mike Myers I have to say that I was thoroughly disappointed with the previews for this film. Not having a huge desire to see the film I did end up watching it by default on a dinner date. I'm glad to say that the movie was much more entertaining and on par with most of Mike Myers past work. As the love Guru, Mike was true to the comical genius and work that fans of his have come to enjoy. Albeit not the greatest movie for 2008, I thought it was true to Mikes roots and had plenty of slapstick laughs. Even Jessica Alba's generally poor acting was well done here with her playing the unpopular owner of the Maple leafs. With the addition of Verne Troyer as the Maple leafs coach, Justin Timberlake as the antagonist and fellow upcoming popular actor Romany Malco, the movie had a good cast. I was pleased that there were no dry spots and the movie played consistent until the end. Overall I give the movie a 7 with it being decidedly funnier than this years long list of crappy comedy's. If your a fan of Mike Myers, I recommend this fun movie.