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The Long Road Home (2017)
Terrible Screenplay
I don't know how you mess up such a compelling story and at the same time drag it out interminably, but the producer/director or whoever seemed to do it here perfectly. The 6 or 7 hour long depiction lacks feeling when it should be about the easiest thing to demonstrate given what happened. The dialogue and pacing and unfolding of the story just fall part at the most critical times. In just one example, when one of the spouses is falling apart after finding out her husband was KIA there's a lot of gravitas but then in the very next second she's suddenly asking the care team if they'd like something to eat. So while you're processing this sense of loss you're hit with a feeling that it didn't really matter anyway, and that the women should just all eat some cake. And then to add to that his superior is subsequently shown on the phone saying it happens (a servicemember dying, and I believe one under his command, although he could have been under Voleskey's) to his wife all nonchalantly like he couldn't care less really.
So many opportunities to convey a touching story were just lamentably lost. I don't know if the director needs to go back and learn how to do his job, but in my opinion he turned a great story into a wreck, flat and disjointed and rather tedious with unnecessary filler in so many places.
And I don't know what happened with Cindy Sheehan being omitted at the end, but I guess that is another matter...
I thought the book could use some editing, but this TV series takes the cake. Is this really a Nat Geographic publication?
Karthikeya 2 (2022)
Nonsensical
Two stars for the scenery and Hindu-themed CGI, as the rest was just grating and frankly nonsensical, with short interrupted scripts, blaring music, and phony acting. The transition between scenes is abrupt and it's almost like the objective of the film was just do whatever to make the protagonist look good, story be damned. It made me wonder if the producer and crew had ever studied cinematography or at least the art of storytelling because I think even I could produce a story that is nominally compelling, not something that just makes you eager to leave.
Coming off a high from seeing Sita Ramam, I thought this would be of a similar caliber given the high rating it has. I just don't get it. Maybe it's Hindu adherents who were swayed by the religious sentiment in this film that have made it thus.
Fall (2022)
Hard To Watch
This movie was rather hard to watch, not because of the direction or acting, but just because of the sheer intensity of the story. It's not for the weak of heart. I wanted to look away several times rather than see what was going to happen. It's a pretty decent film, just know that if you're squeamish or acrophobic at all, you're probably going to be on the edge of your seat the whole time, probably not feeling too comfortable at times.
Jurassic World Dominion (2022)
No Oomph
It was very predictable and formulaic, and even the acting and script seemed a bit dry (or, I don't know, maybe everyone is just older and worn out?). It seemed like a shadow of the original, in terms of quality and excitement. But the action sequences involving the plane were pretty cool, at least it had that.
Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in His Own Words (2020)
Destroyer of a Constitutional Republic
I would never believe a word this fake statesman says. It's obvious his modus operandi is not to serve the American public as he was sworn to do but rather to seek vengeance for whatever grievances his misanthropic persona has fostered and fermented over time, whether that's the Anita Hill investigation or affirmative action giving him a leg up or maybe just being born. You can see the bitterness just seething out of him, and no doubt to me his wish is to impart that rancor to the United States for perpetuity. Why would anyone want to pay homage to such poison?
Gangs of New York (2002)
Vivid but, well, not one of my faves
It was definitely engaging, but hmm kind of dark (and graphic) and long. It reminded me a bit of Tombstone, only that one was more of an enjoyable ride, maybe because the protagonists were stronger and the bad guys definitely got their due. This also didn't seem terribly realistic, e.g. Amsterdam aged into an adult while everyone else pretty much looked the same, and Union gunboats fired cannons on NYC. Uhh, okay...
Yeah, so, it was alright, but I preferred Leonardo's earlier cast in Titanic more.
Lilies of the Field (1963)
Stupid Movie
Insufferably boring and indecipherable. It'll make your skin crawl trying to endure through this interminably long film and listen to their totally uninteresting blather.
Nareul guhaji maseyo (2020)
Waste of Time
I felt like nothing happened in the hour and a half or so I spent watching this thing, no plot development at all hardly. There could have been so many nuances or embellishments to effectively lead the viewer to where the story was going, instead it just plodded along aimlessly. Even if it had ended differently, that would have least injected some feeling and gravitas into this flat tale.
Noche de fuego (2021)
Probably better than any sleeping pill...
Wow, whoever did this really outdid themselves - it's a total snoozefest. Just when I think I've seen the worst of the worst in terms of something that will bore my socks off, I manage to find something that descends to a new low, usually in tandem with high ratings, ironically. I'm sure this must have won awards for putting critics in a deep sleep because I can't imagine what possibly could have been the appeal in selecting it otherwise. Awful.
The Bachelors (2017)
It went downhill from an initial high
This started out good with some solid substance, but the second half just fell flat. It became contrived, cliche, syrupy, uncomfortable... Too bad I kept watching past the midpoint or so because it had me mesmerized until then.
Lost in the Sun (2015)
Nice Movie
It was awesome. Liked the twist. How movies like this can score so low and crap like Hereditary scores so high is beyond me. Even if you don't care for the story, the cinematography and scenery is bar none.
The Good Doctor (2017)
It's okay to be caring and respectful
I'll give it a 10 just to counter all the peeps on here who have an axe to grind because the show deals with racial and other social issues in a responsible, grown-up way. Before the age of temper-tantrum baby dictators, respect and decency towards others seemed to be a thing. Now it's like how tribal and vehement can we get towards anything that doesn't preach our white entitlement mantra, as espoused by the lovelies on here who are all bent because the show brings up these topics rather than spurning them like someone...
Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019)
Waste of Time
What else is there to day other than that it was dumb and a waste of time? When your movie formula involves characters telling each other how to attack the monsters as a running dialogue rather than any sort of meaningful script, it's a bad sign for the movie. Might as well just have been two hours of cartoons for kids. Once again I feel let down by the deceiving ratings. No more Marvel Comic movies for me, I think.
Marriage Story (2019)
A Total Dud
The reviews were totally misleading (not the first time...). Monotonous and uninteresting drivel. I want my two hours back. And for once I am disappointed with a performance by Adam Driver, that he would even choose to be cast in this.
The Virgin Suicides (1999)
Waste of Time!
Aside from Hereditary and Midsommar, this has to be one of the worst movies I have ever seen. It is empty and boring and rather amazingly disappointing in terms of finding some sort of resolution or substance to resonate in the way we expect a movie to. Just a total dud.
More Than Frybread (2011)
Not Enjoyable
This was basically 2 hours of yelling and screaming. It has to be one of the poorest films I have seen.
F-19 Stealth Fighter (1988)
My favorite game growing up.
This brought me so much enjoyment growing up. I put hours and hours into it, but it was very satisfying.
In this game, you take on missions in different restless areas of the world ranging from I think Libya as the easiest to the Eastern Bloc as the hardest. Not only do you have the strategic aspect of accomplishing your military objective, but you also have to manage the general details of a flight simulator like adjusting flaps and velocity. It's very realistic in that sense because for instance you'll crash and die if you come in too hot or run out of fuel. Moreover, you have to do air-to-air combat with enemy aircraft that likewise adds challenge, from picking armaments to actually hitting them.
Overall the game involved quite a bit of gameplay learning and technique to become skilled at the missions.
One thing that was also kind of fun was blowing up other targets than the directed one, even ally targets. Of course, you'd get docked for that, but it was kind of fun sometimes anyways!
This was truly a great game. Almost seemed like being in a real military flight simulator.
Little Big Man (1970)
It Was Up And Down For Me
I appreciated the point of view taken in the movie, as well as the engagement level. It was a decent story, and it moved along in a smooth attention-getting way. I thought the humor about religion was especially funny. The only thing that was kind of ho-hum is some of the other moments were almost too slapstick, and side-by-side with gritty ambush scenes.
Spirit Lands: An American Desert Odyssey (2004)
Peaceful
So relaxing, it will pull you in and ground you. Good way to decompress with natural beauty unfolding before your eyes.
The Florida Project (2017)
Kind of went downhill
This movie started out in a very engaging and even funny way, with all the antics the kids were pulling. But from about midway on, it became pretty depressing and almost like a totally different movie. It lost its cheery edge in favor of something tantamount to a free fall off a cliff.
Another thing that kind of got to me was the mother's behavior that was so out of control it almost seemed incompatible with being able to function in society. And almost worse than that was the hotel manager's tolerance of it. It was unrealistic the way he would just turn a blind eye to her raging against him when he had just given her a break on the rent, etc. That just didn't make sense to me.
Amores perros (2000)
Not Very Appealing
It was just long and bloody, and I wouldn't care to see it again. All of the characters except for the mother of the two brothers seemed a bit selfish, and not much in the way of redemption emerged from any of the intertwined stories except perhaps in the one at the end. I would give the film an even lower rating if any of the animals were mistreated in the making of the movie; I hope none weren't.
Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood (2019)
Waste Of Valuable Time
Trash. Since when did abysmal storytelling figure center stage in people's minds? This film is painful to watch. I just don't even understand how this could be up for an Oscar unless it's just about name association.
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Snooze Alert
Behold the ultimate slogfest. It will make waiting on the 405 seem like an adventure.
Menace II Society (1993)
Not terribly shattering
I'm sure the intent was to make it realistic, but the constant f-bombs were kind of offputting and problematic in understanding what the characters were saying. It seemed like it was a good storyline, but it also seemed like it could have been developed better to where you would feel attached to or pulled into the character's story. I'll say the way he acted didn't evoke much pity from me at times. Most definitely not a fluffy bunny movie to watch together with the family.
The Town (2010)
Same-old same-old?
Isn't this Boston insider mob theme stuff getting kind of old?