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reddice26
Reviews
Under the Banner of Heaven (2022)
Why is the Mormon cult not forbidden?
As a European, I cannot understand why cults, such as the Mormons are not forbidden in America. Why on earth is this even called a religion anyway? The same as scientology, even though those guys do not have the blood from several massacres on their hands. From all the religions to choose from, Americans tend to choose for one that says that Jesus is an American and that all the prophets of God are Americans. Everyone else is an infidel, that will go to hell. And they believe this? What? Why? There is no other religion in the world so racist as the Mormons. And I am sure that heavenly father does not approve.
Arcane: League of Legends (2021)
For fans of the videogame only
Don't be fooled by the high rating here on IMDB, if you have never played the game, it's not worth your time. Only good thing about the show are the graphics, everything else is bad. Poor scripts, lame dialogues, boring story and one-dimensional characters. You have seen it all, better in other movies or series. Only watch if you are fan of the game.
G.E.O.: Más allá del límite (2021)
Meh...
Pretty boring documentary about a sub-standard SWAT-like unit. Not so sure what's so special about this, pretty much every country in the world has a similar type of police/military branch. The people in it are real for sure, but the fact that they are not being trained, but just pushed across their edge makes this whole exercise silly. Most likely it has to do with budgetary constraints in the Spanish polish force than anything else, as they are considered pawns instead of assets. In any other country you have to be the best of the best to even try out and often you are asked to participate, not in Spain apparently, there any ordinary police officer can just enroll. Pretty sad to be honest. I suppose in the end you get the same result, but I doubt this is more future proof.
Xin shen bang: Ne Zha chong sheng (2021)
Ok story, bad graphics
Don't understand the positive feedback on the graphics from people here on IMDB. These must be paid accounts, because otherwise it does not make sense. For a movie made in 2020, it looks like something from late 90's/early 2000's. Want good graphics? Then watch Gantz:O instead. That movie is 5 years old and still looks awesome. But not this movie, even Ice Age looks more realistic.
And the story, it was ok. Action was not fleshed out properly, felt a bit flat. And too many breaks to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Movie is decent enough to watch once, but not more.
Army of the Dead (2021)
Plot hole after plot hole
Be warned, the negative reviews here are absolutely true and accurate. This movie is filled with gaping plot holes, goofs and random stupidity. Example: somewhere around the middle of the movie, they discover that the very suspiciously acting government guy is probably doublecrossing everyone. There are literally corpses from a previous team in the casino. What do they do? Absolutely nothing. They just let him run around until he actually double crosses them. Absolutely baffling. Quite possibly the worst and laziest script ever written.
Only reason I give 5 stars is because there is nothing else of interest coming out during this Covid epidemic. Would have been 3 or 2 stars in pre Covid era.
The Social Dilemma (2020)
Boring, old news
I don't get the high rating, this documentary does not provide any new insights or new information. It basically bundles information which has already been available for years into one boring format. And the acting...? Oh my.... don't know why they decided to include the ridiculous storyline into this documentary at all, as it takes the attention away from the main message they are trying to make.
I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020)
Misunderstood
If you are anything like me, you have just watched this movie and are wondering what on earth you just saw. It's weird right? That's ok, because even the people on here pretending to understand have missed the mark completely.
So let's start with the beginning, where you see Jake in his apartment looking down to the street where his gf is being picked up by Jake. They drive off to visit Jake's family and it appears Jake can read this girl's mind, which is strange. Then, when they get to his parent's house, you see his parents in all stages of their live. Jake does not want to leave, but his gf does all the time. And there is a door to the cellar with scratch marks where he does not want his gf to go to. When they finally leave, they go get ice cream, where the girl is warned not to move forward in time by the other girl. Weird right? And then... they drive to Jake's former high school, where he kisses her and then dissapears.
But....! That's not all. You also have Jake Sr, which is basically the old version if him, working as a janitor in a high school. BUT, this version does not live in an apartment, but in house with a swing on the front lawn.
And now the real story unfolds at the end of the movie, so here's what happens. When young Jake is kissing his gf, he sees himself looking through a peephole at them. And later, you see a dance scene, between a man and a women, whereby the man is is killed by a janitor and the girl taken away. This represents how janitor Jake is watching 2 young lovers make out, he is discovered by the man. Then they fight, he kills the man and abducts the girl. This girl is actually the one that is presented as a gf throughout the movie. The scratch marks on the cellar door, those are hers, she is being held captive and "does not remember when they first met" and remembers she "just wants to go home". She has been locked up for ages, get it? The girls at the ice cream shop are warning her, meaning she has lost her mind after years of rape and is living in her own world. If she accepts her fate, she will get worse, so "she can stay there". Right after the kissing scene in the car, she says to herself that she had never learned to say no. The yes for the phone number became another yes, and another yes, and another yes. She is blaming herself for what happened! In the next scene, she says she was creeped out by Jake in the bar, which gives us another hint: One that Jake never took, he really thought she liked him. Hence the looking at her through holes and killing her real boyfriend to kidnap her. In the scene where Jake is on stage, he even thanks her! The "friendly" parents represent how his parents always always knew and always protected him and the kidnapping/raping. And he, in turn, cared for them while she remained captive. At a certain point, the mother tells her to go down to the basement!!! Get it? And the numerous missed calls are from friends and relatives looking for her still.
And the death of the janitor at the end you may wonder? Well, that is NOT his car! If you don't believe me, look again because it is a very different car. It's most likely the car from the guy he killed, and where he may have stashed the body. Jake is thus NOT dead.
So, now we're full circle. Young Jake is a perv, thinks a girl likes him, kidnaps her while killing the partner in the process. Keeps her locked up in a basement, his parents knew all along. The girl is locked up for years, all the while slowly but surely going crazy. The swingset outside is a hint that she had gotten pregnant at a certain point. The pigs with maggots on their belly represent the miscarriage, because he did not take good care of her. And the changing pictures of the child in the house represents that he would have looked like one of them. In the meanwhile Jake carries on cleaning a high school, possibly looking for his next prey. And even possibley full of guilt and remorse, that's the mental breakdown at the end. But still... he goes back into school. Friends and family still look for the girl. Building up for a sequel?
I give 3 stars, because all in all it's not a very good story and the fact that everyone is interpreting this in the wrong way is ultimate proof the film maker failed.
Cobra Kai (2018)
Better than the sequels and reboot combined
So this show just hit Netflix in my country and immediately I was triggered. I recognized the name of the show immediately and looked it up. To my surprise, this is a YouTube show which has now been picked up by Netflix. With all the positive reviews here, I decided to give it a try and boy, am I happy I did. This show is so ridiculously good it immediately makes me forget all of the sequels and lame reboot. It's even better than the original movie. It's funny, witty, touching and sad, all in the right dosage. You just keep wondering what's going to happen next.
I highly recomend this to everyone who has ever seen the original Karate Kid.
La La Land (2016)
Terrible movie!
Why do I rate this movie 10 stars, but call it terrible in the subject line you may wonder? Well, that's very simple my dear friend... because it made me cry myself to sleep.. Several days in a row actually. Though I have never worked in Hollywood, this movie struck all the right chords with me, especially in the love department. It reminds me of (as some may say) the one that got away. So ten years after those events, this movie is able to tear up those wounds, take me back to that moment and make me weep like a child. So be warned if you are anything like me, this movie may do the same to you, it may stirr up feelings you thought were buried a long time ago.
So here's to the hearts that ache and here's to the mess we make!
Tonari no Totoro (1988)
People actually like this?
I have seen a number of anime classics, but Ghibli movies were never high on my priority list. So today is the first time I actually saw this movie for the very first time. And my first thoughts: People actually like this? People actually prefer this over Disney classics? There is absolutely no way this soulless movie is even on par with ANY Disney classic. The plot is non-existent and events are totally random and laughably stupid. And the ending is so sugar coated it gave me cavities. A pity, because I was actaully really looking forward to this. Oh well... Back to The little Mermaid, Lion King and Alladin for me
12 Strong (2018)
True story... yeah right!
This story presents itself as a true story, but rest assured, it is not. Imagine a PG-13 Rambo riding on a horse and destroying rocket launchers, tanks and an army of 15.000 soldiers and you've got this movie basically. The Afghani are all cannon fodder, equal to the Rambo series.
Now why the 7 stars? Because of the action. Just sit back, relax and enjoy this total piece of fiction that has been marketed as a true story to draw in hordes of Americans. The action is pretty good, despite its silliness.
Magic for Humans (2018)
Scripted and staged, but decent
Don't worry guys, this show is just as scripted and staged as every other magic show on tv. Which means the easy tricks are performed with unwilling suspects, but the more difficult ones with actors and CGI. Remember when David Copperfield made the statue of liberty disappear on TV? It was all with smoke, mirrors and a paid audience. The same principles are applied here.
Also, CGI plays an important role in this series. There is one very clear and very bad example of CGI, which is when he pulls his wife out if a bag. And it's not even good CGI to be honest, it's the fakest thing I have ever seen.... In the same episode, he levitates with a goat on his back (no joke). Reactions of bystanders are clearly rehearsed and staged. This trick is partly CGI and partly montage. But as mentioned earlier, ALL tv magic shows make use of these very same "techniques".
Child's Play (2019)
Still better than IT
A lot of the hate comes from people who enjoyed the terrible remake of IT. Ironic though, seeing as that movie was no horror at all and was basically 1 big " yo momma" joke. So don't take the negative reviews too serious.
This remake of Child's Play has its flaws and is in all ways inferior to the original. However, it's placed in a modern setting with some very painful and gore filled deaths and making it a much more mature version. The doll itself is threatening enough, seeing as it is an AI and is thus not limited to its body as in the original film. The new characters are ok, but don't add much value, because they are not fleshed out enough. Something tells me the original screenplay was intended to be about 30 minutes longer.
The humour is this movie is better than in the previous Chucky movies and fits in well with the story.
I watched it with no expectations and enjoyed it. I would say, give it a try!
Devilman: Crybaby (2018)
Great anime
Even though I am not familiar with the source material, I decided to watch this anime. The first couple of episodes, I felt were ok-ish. What I did not realize is that this was setting up the story for the second half of the series, which is where the show really shines. It is then that it becomes immensely brutal and uses the background of the first episodes to build on. Blood and gore go hand in hand with the drama that unfolds in front of your eyes. I was shocked to see just how brutal it becomes and had to fight against the tears on some moments. If you're looking for a feel-good anime, this is not for you.
If there is one bad thing I can say about this show, it is that it's too short. With 1 or 2 episodes more, they could have clarified some background stories and made the final battle more intense. The ending is thought provoking (in fact much more than neon genesis), but if a bit more time had been invested, it would have gone into the history books as a classic for sure.
One of the best animes on Netflix and highly recommended.
Kengan Ashura (2019)
Decent Anime
A very decent fighting anime indeed. Motions of bodies and limbs are fluid and realistic, which positively surprised me. Sure, the moves and techniques are all made up (even some of the martial arts styles), but once the moves are shown in full glory it's a delight to watch. Too bad that the special techniques/power moves are made so important, because that's basically the main downside of this anime. If it had realistic fighting techniques instead, it would be a solid 10 in my book.
What other people seem to not point out is that there are basically 3 animation styles in this anime. The backflashes and story backgrounds are both very different from eachother as well as from the main story. I especially like the style that looks like it was filmed with an old camera, it looks awesome.
Storywise, mwah. This anime doesn't have, but also doesn't really need a solid plot, seeing as each episode revolves around a fight. Most characters have the traditional anime/manga personalities and you can spot them and their traits from miles away. Luckily, the fights are surprising and you keep wondering throughout the fight who will win in the end. There are 3 or 4 fighters who are so connected to the plot that you know the outcome in advance, but many other fights have surprising twists.
All in all, I enjoyed it and am now looking forward to seasons 3 and 4.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019)
Still for children
I get it, people are nostalgic about it and are therefor extremely excited about this show. But to be honest, it's just a kids show (from 8 to max 15) and as such very overrated!
The puppets look great and all, but there are only 8 or 9 sets in total, which make the world seem very small. No years long travel to mount doom as in lotr, no sir, from one end of the world to the castle in a heartbeat! With these short distances and quick travels, there is simply no adventure.
The story itself is a bit shallow and very drawn out. It gets tiresome at a certain point and unfortunately, it only gets interesting towards the end of the first season. The main characters, both skeksis and other, make one strategic mistake after another. I can safely say that the fearsome Skeksis are incompetent. At some moments, they make the walking dead characters seem like geniuses. The humour varies, but is most of the time times downright childish.
So, why the 7 stars? Because it's still entertaining and the effort put into making this clearly shows. The pupeteers have done a great job in making the motions and facial expressions appear realistic. Besides, it's not a bad show at all, it's just not great. So be careful with your expectations going in, or you will disappointed. And if you're new to The Dark Crystal, you may not even like it at all.
The King (2019)
Great action sequences
The storyline, I can't say if it's true or not. I know nothing at all about English history, let alone Henry the 5th. Parts seem exaggerated or at least approached with artistic freedom. The political intrigues did not come over as realistic to me at least, the twists and turns were amateuristic and no king would fall for such a lame attempt at anyone undermining his power.
However, the movie's greatest asset is not in its narrative (even though its it's a good story), but in the gruesome fight scene(s). It's bloody, its dirty and it's close and personal as any real battle would have been back then. It's a very uncomfortable watch to be honest, but I was still glued to my seat.
I won't spoil too much, but even the death scenes are presented in a realistic way. People don't just drop to the floor, you actually see the life leaving their body. This is not something you would typically see in any R rated movie, not even Dredd, Punisher or Deadpool show it in this fashion.
One of the best Netflix movies out there.
The Jerry Springer Show (1991)
Jerry, Jerry, Jerry!!
Ahhhh, Jerry Springer. I was 15 years old when this show came to my country. It was absolutely bizarre, crazy as heck, but highly enjoyable. To say this show is trash is an absolute understatement. Themes ranged from black men joining the KKK, children marrying their mothers, three-way relationships, to people saying they were posessed by a devil cat or some other random stuff. At first I thought this was all acted, but it wasn't until much later that I learned that basically everyone could come to the show, providing they submitted a story that was crazy enough. No background check, interviews or anything else was done by the producers, they just needed crazy stories, period.
I remember that doomsday thinkers believed this would be the future of television and that it would brainwash entire generations, but thank the heavens we got Netflix and HBO and can be much more selective. This type of show would never make it in the current climate. So for that reason plus the nostalguc factor, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.
Hardcore Pawn (2009)
Entertaining at least
So I've read some reviews on here and all the negative ones are absolutely true. The family who runs this business is first class trash and does not deserve any kind of support. The way they treat people, customers and employers alike, is apalling. Clearly, a lot of events are staged and rehearsed, but who in their right mind would want to appear like this on television? Not even trailer trash would stoop so low.
Still, the show is a guilty pleasure of mine. It can be fun to watch and the shenanigans of this family can glue you to your seat, waiting for what's next. One tip though: Do not watch too many episodes in a row, as the amount of agression and stipudity in each one can wear you down.
American Pickers (2010)
What a junk!
This show is about two guys buying junk and pretending it's valuable treasures. All encounters are clearly staged and rehearsed, but it's still charming to watch for some reason. Both hosts are goofy and silly, with their so-called negotiations tactics, but just the right amount to keep you engaged.
Main reason I personally watch this show is catch a glimps of Daniëlle, who's unintentionally cute.
6 Underground (2019)
Mediocre at best
Typical Bay movie, with tons of explosions, choppy scenes, clichés and comic book level vilain. The story is bad, really bad, riddled with plot holes like swiss cheese. But... we don't know Bay for his airtight plots, no sir, we go for the action. And the action is there to make up for the flaws.
Biggest downside however was that in the end, it felt like I was watching a (decent) fast & furious ripoff with all the lollygagging and nonsense about "family", but unfortunately without the actual star power to keep you glued to the screen. The sequel had better have The Rock in it!