jaholl Reviews

The Way Home (2023– )

Probably One of the Best Shows Hallmark Has Ever Produced.

[9/10 · 5 February 2024]

This isn't your typical Hallmark.

Hallmark is known for their sappy romances...Some excellent, the rest, not so much.

I leave the sappy movies and shows in the dust. I leave the woke movies in the dust.

Then, Hallmark comes along and creates this little gem.

Usually, anything to do with time travel draws the viewer in. This is one of the better ones.

Because times & dates, along with events can be a little confusing, I highly recommend starting this series from the very beginning if you're just discovering the show & want to start watching.

There are only ten episodes per season, so it won't take long to get caught up.

When you have a pond that sends you into the past, a brother you're looking for & a great story line, you'll fall in love with this just like I did.

I truly look forward to each new episode.

Downhill (I) (2020)

Yawn...

[1/10 · 21 May 2023]

Firstly, casting expects movie viewers to pretend Julia Dreyfus was not closing in on 60 while filming this movie & they thought we would just skip over the fact she was WAY too old to play the role of some mother with 2 young kids.

That said, casting does this quite frequently...Giving roles meant for someone younger to seniors & thinking we won't question it.

Secondly, when they say this was a dark comedy, they actually meant, yawn-inducing boredom.

It doesn't matter what country you're in, no popular ski resort would have done what this one did & then brush it off as nothing.

Not anywhere close to being plausible.

Unfortunately, this was just a bad script that even well-known actors couldn't save.

The movie should have never been made.

Those Who Wish Me Dead (2021)

Decent Suspense Film

[7/10 · 30 December 2021]

I no longer monetarily support Hollywood paychecks due to their "I'm better than the rest of you" status given to them during lockdowns and award shows. Since I saw this at no charge to me, I'll give an honest review.

Much of this was fanciful, a little far-fetched and somewhat silly.

However, if you're just in it for a short period of entertainment, then it was pretty good.

Only problem with the movie were the two assassins. It's like they had Carte Blanche and could get away with anything they wanted.

Yeah, I laughed at that but at least they made stupid mistakes so it's all good.

I wish there'd be fewer glimpses into her ptsd. Once shown the first time, it did not need repeating.

The time would have been better spent seeing the kid break the case open wide with the media and Mr. Bad Guy get cuffed.

Best character: The pregnant wife. She was pretty amazing.

All in all, it's worth a watch. Intense at times. Fair warning.

Resident Alien (2021– )

Didn't Care For this At All.

[1/10 · 30 January 2021]

I made it through maybe 20 minutes of the first episode before giving up and moving on. Not my idea of humorous. I found this silly and stupid. Would never be able to watch this guys ridiculous facial expressions for very long. The alien costume looks like rubber and feels cheap.

Cobra Kai (2018–2025)

It a Lot to Make Me Laugh Out Loud.

[10/10 · 1 September 2020]

What's really weird is that this has been available since 2018 and I never knew about it. Now that it's on Netflix and the series is better exposed, it's shot up to number one. I am NOT usually a comedy person. The things I look for are always Science fiction or Fantasy, but because they got the two original guys to come back, I decided to give it a shot. Each and every single episode makes me laugh out loud. In my opinion, most comedy scripts are stupid. I either roll my eyes or change the channel. I am very, very hard to please when it comes to good one-liners. What honestly worked was that the writers understand us out here and they just gave these characters normal things to say like we would in every day life... It's hilarious. I dare viewers to not laugh at some point during every episode. There's always something said that you don't expect. They don't just give the good lines to one or two people either. Johnny gets a lot of funny lines and so do a lot of the kids. I think this all works because it's so American. Great to see Kreese back too, but he's got some problems. Lol Whoever edits this show and puts the scenes together really does a great job. The music is like a walk right into my past. I'm the exact same age as Ralph Macchio, so every time a song came on I was singing right along with them. This series has a bit of something for everyone. Comedy, drama and martial arts. Great action shots and great cast. Looking forward to season three already. VERY happy to have discovered this gem and thanks to Netflix for putting this fantastic series where it belongs...At the top. One thing I kept noticing though...LaRusso's character has GOT to stop assuming the worst in each situation. He practices "balance" and "calm" during his training, yet can't apply that to his own life. Lol If he started asking questions, instead of roaring into everything like a lion on steroids, he'd get a lot further and he & Johnny wouldn't have so many problems. LaRusso is actually the hothead this go around...Who would have thought? This series is a little gem and a huge success. Everyone needs to binge this, even if you're not sure it would entice you. Trust me, you'll love it.

Sweetheart (I) (2019)

Not Bad At All...

[7/10 · 18 June 2020]

Look, for a flick where an actress no one knows has to carry nearly the entire film on her own, it's pretty good. A LOT better than Netflix's other lame offerings lately, that's for sure. Also, when you DO have other actors briefly join the main character, they are all unknown actors as well. In my opinion they weren't as good as the MC, but for a Sci Fi flick that has... 1) All unknown actors 2) Entire film and story line contained on a very small island 3) Weird Creature 4) Low budget

it really isn't a bad little movie. Very entertaining and Clemons does a great job. She was creative, very resourceful and braver than I would have been. While I wish the hole in the ocean could have been explored a bit more, I suppose we weren't really meant to after all.

This was kept very simple. And, it worked.

Code 8 (2019)

Bored To Death

[1/10 · 25 May 2020]

I am a science fiction nut and this was one of the rare movies I hadn't seen yet, so thought I'd give it a go while being on lockdown in California (one of the strictest states in the U.S.). I couldn't get past 30 minutes of this. Bland, boring and just...sad.

Saving Zoë (2019)

Slow Moving

[2/10 · 21 March 2020]

When looking for something to watch, just keep on skipping past this one, or watch the beginning, then skip to the end. That's all you need. Part of the huge problem with this movie is due to the entire drama moving way too slowly. The second problem is that while some of the actors did a really good job, others were so bad at this, it made it twice as hard to continue watching. The gal who played Carly did an amazing job. She was really good. The Indian girl, who played Echo's best friend in school however, was so bad , that I almost went to look for something else to watch. She was THAT bad. She cannot deliver lines and should have an acting coach watch her scenes back with her. If this actress thinks she wants to continue in the movie industry, then she has a lot of work to do. It was truly painful to watch her. It was also sad to see such lazy, uninvolved parents. They were pathetic and had absolutely no idea what was going on in their daughters lives. To put this movie in a nutshell, the entire thing moved like a slow-dripping faucet. It was annoying at times with some of the really bad acting, but like I said...watch the first half hour, a smidge of the middle, then skip to the last 40 minutes or so. Trust me when I say you don't need the rest; it's too easy to fill in the blanks yourself.

IO (2019)

B.O.R.I.N.G.

[1/10 · 29 June 2019]

When people ask for more sci fi films, they're NOT asking for sleepers. This has an actress in it, no one knows & doesn't want to. Half way through the movie she meets up with some guy you THINK you may have seen before. When it comes right down to it, you don't care. Plot was stupid. Script was stupid. It all was stupid. This was such a waste of time and a real good way to get some sleep.

The Order (2019–2020)

Keep Politics OUT of television shows.

[1/10 · 10 March 2019]

I swear, nothing ruins a movie or show more than having actors deliver politics in their scripts. Why do you think award shows have horrible ratings these days? It seems Netflix can't help themselves either. Oooh, ohh, get your snarky comments against the president into a show. Bye Netflix. You screwed up. Let a show...just be a show. This could have been a halfway decent urban fantasy, but failed. This stupid country is already divided enough, without getting in your digs through actors. Leave politics on the cutting room floor, or you'll lose many of your viewers.

Always a Witch (2019–2020)

Bad Acting, Bad Voice-Overs

[1/10 · 11 February 2019]

Uh. I can't find ANY good Sci Fi or fantasy lately. This wasn't good at all. Firstly, it has to be translated into English. The people doing the voice overs did a terrible job. The production on the show was ok, but badly edited. Then, you have to listen to the bad acting on the voice overs which makes this unwatchable. I made it through 20 minutes, then went to find something else to watch.

How Sarah Got Her Wings (2015)

Thought it's Be Good, but Really Wasn't...

[3/10 · 21 December 2018]

Had this not been a comedy and instead, a well-written drama, it would have been much better. I DID however, laugh out loud at the character Daphne, who played an angel at the registry when Sara first goes up to Heaven. Not only was that part made for her, but she was excellent in it. Too bad the other actors failed. Jordan (characters name) wasn't very good, not did I care at all. I stopped the movie and went to look for something else to watch. Kudos to the actress who played Daphne. It's worth it to watch that segment just for her and her alone.

The VVitch: A New-England Folktale (2015)

I Can't Abide By even Fake Baby Killing

[1/10 · 23 September 2018]

ANY movie that kills babies or children, even though it's (obviously) fake, I'll always rate low. Sorry. I started this movie with high hopes. Then, the witch (supposedly) steals a baby right from under the nose of the baby's sister. The witch laid him on a table and at that point, I knew the baby would be slaughtered. I immediately turned it off. Sorry, can't help it. I'll never, EVER watch any abuse or killings of animals or small children.

The Bad Seed (2018 TV Movie)

Cat Spoiler!!!

[1/10 · 16 September 2018]

In the movie the bad kid drowns a cat in a small fountain. NEWSFLASH Lifetime...All cats are good swimmers. That cat should have doggy paddled to the side of the fountain and gotten out all by himself. The movie, incorrectly shows the cat struggling to stay afloat in a small amount of water. All cats can swim unless the pool or body of water has no ramp or a way out. With That being said, neither can a dog, or any other animal or human. This cat was in a very small square fountain with an easy lip to climb out of. I have a similar small pond and my dumb cat goes in to try and get the polliwogs. He climbs out each and every time he acts like an idiot. All Lifetime had to do was DO. THEIR. RESEARCH. Funny thing is, the reason this dumb scene was even shown at all, was to show a serial killer in the making. I mean they all start with animals, right? Great! Fine! Just do your homework first. Had the cat been in a tank with no way out, then yes. It would have eventually exhausted itself and drowned. The cat could have easily gotten out of the very shallow-lipped fountain that they used in the movie. I hate fact discrepancies in books and film, when all it would have taken was a little less laziness. I could barely site through the rest of this. Some of the dumbest and inappropriate things were said. Who wrote this screenplay anyways? The little girl in the movie was the only actor worth mentioning. From what I saw of her, she was good. Too bad the rest of the movies attributes weren't better.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)

Compelled To Praise this...

[10/10 · 27 August 2018]

Look, this movie franchise brings out the complainers and whiners and then the other half who are obsessed.

The movies stay true to the book series, except for Breaking Dawn Part 2, where the film changes a major point in the book. the final film gets a lot of credit for doing that. Many felt the book was too boring and plain.

Regardless if these movies are cheesy, or you love them, there IS a reason why people watch these over and over and over again.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018)

Really Sweet Movie (Just Not convince It's Accurate)

[8/10 · 20 August 2018]

The gal who played the MC was ridiculously cute. She was probably the main reason I stuck with a "kiddie" movie. I'm a lot older now and it takes quite a bit to like (really young) YA books and films.

The thing is, I don't remember 16 year old boys this way AT ALL. Even all the guys at our church constantly had over-flowing hormones. None of them were ever that serious or real. Many of them got married young, just to get physical. All us high school girls WISHED boys were this mature and could express their feelings like this movie portrayed, but c'mon... They're not and except for the occasional kid, most 16 year old boys don't conduct themselves in the manner that this movie portrayed. Boys fell for girls all the time, but the immaturity was a constant. In that age group, I can't recall one guy as sweet as Peter got, not to mention two of them. Both Peter and Josh were well-spoken and conducted themselves as if they were much older than 16 year old kids. Anytime a movie is made with kids in mind, I think all of the adults involved, like the producers and directors, don't take a true look back to their high school days. This girls mother died when she was young, but Peter's father bailed and got himself a new family. Except for a couple of minor issues with abandonment, both of these kids were so well-adjusted for living in a one-parent home. While it's not an impossibility that high school boys can be genuine and share their true thoughts and feelings, it's just really rare. Boys have their moments, but in reality, these movies aren't a true look into teens. It's just another fantasy story. Because I loved the actors in this and thought they were exceptional, I gave the movie a higher rating, even though it didn't feel like teens in real life. I laughed because Peter continuously said "Woe, woe, woe woe" because he did this a bit too much and I was rolling my eyes, but the guy playing him (Noah Centineo) was great in the role. Lana Condor is as cute as a bug in a rug. She's just adorable. Loved her and loved her acting. This is a modern day Sixteen Candles, which by the way, is mentioned in the film. That movie is decades old, yet everyone still loves it. I am normally a Sci fi girl, but when you've seen all the new movies, you gotta look elsewhere and this is what I chose. Good job! I didn't know any of the actors, but they all did really well in this.

Wind River (2017)

A Twilight Reunion

[4/10 · 13 August 2018]

This is a very slow-moving drama based on the same type of thing you'll see in quite a lot of additional movies and mini-series.

It's nothing new.

A dead person discovered. Small town. No one is helping. We've got a mystery.

Every time I looked up, yet another alumni from The Twilight Saga showed up in this flick. At least three of them. I think when a call goes out for actors that look Indian, you'll see The Twilight alums show up. Kinda strange seeing them altogether though. There were wolves in this movie and I keep waiting for them to shift back to human.

Anyways, if you like this type of mystery and have no problem with stories that move incredibly slow, then you'll probably like this.

I really didn't. While I don't mind a good drama, this just moved at a snails pace. The main actor who plays the wildlife guy, is very hard to understand when he speaks. He's a mumbler. The kid who plays his son is adorable however. Cute kid. I prefer dramas to move a bit faster than this did and this could have been done so much better.

Extinction (2018)

Eh...Another One Bites the Dust

[3/10 · 7 August 2018]

I always gravitate towards Sci Fi before anything else. It has always been a favorite of mine. This will never be up there with the great alien invasion flicks. Why? There is a twist to the movie that will have you sayin' "what?" While it's a twist, it's not necessarily a good one, once you find out what's going on. Besides that, there was a problem I had with this movie.....the kids...especially, the youngest daughter. She cries constantly throughout this entire thing. It was as if the director said "Keep crying loudly and never stop." It got to be so annoying. At one point, anyone watching would be yelling at their screen to get this kid to stop. She never obeys her parents or follows directions either. Were this movie truly spectacular, no one would mind this kid, but unfortunately, the movie couldn't make up for all the snot, tears and stupid things the youngest daughter does. Both of these girls who played the daughters were old enough to know when to be quiet and stop sniveling, but no... When they were supposed to be hiding and staying quiet, the kids couldn't do that at all. Their crying and noise kept screwing up every scenario where silence was crucial. Once the twist has been revealed, the movie kinda goes downhill from there...fast. Oh well...You don't know until you watch.

How It Ends (2018)

Seriously?

[2/10 · 17 July 2018]

Sorta spoilers, but then again, not really...Let's go with "questionable spoilers."

Some big, scary traumatic event supposedly happened on the west coast of the U.S., yet no one knows what. There's ash, earthquakes and pyroclastic flows. The way it looked to me was a massive volcano, but they never tell you that and please...the power goes out in the entire country?

I kept shaking my head. There's not one ounce of plausibility in this movie. In fact, this was actually worse than a made-for-tv movie on the SyFi channel.

The worst part about this entire thing was no one had a conversation that people would really have. The script was terrible. In fact, Will and his girlfriend's father (Whitaker) start traveling across the country without them even discussing this "event." I'm sitting there thinking "C'mon guys, you're supposed to be talking about this event and you're not." None of this seemed remotely real. And why does every single person Will comes across have to be a devolved weirdo? There are many more respectful people than there are maniacs. You do not have things degrade that badly in 2-5 days. Really, really weird movie, that had me wondering why I bothered in the first place. Netflix always makes good originals, but this time, they really bombed. Why did they have to mess up a disaster flick? Those are my favorite. Sigh....

What Happened to Monday (2017)

Pretty Exellent

[9/10 · 21 March 2018]

While I love most anything Science Fiction, this movie tends to be more of an action film, than Sci Fi, but good grief, I was on the edge of my seat throughout this entire thing.

A little gross in some parts, but it did fit the movie and was necessary.

Leave it to Glenn Close to play a woman you'll learn to (very quickly) hate. She always does these roles well.

I didn't know what to expect from a Netflix original movie. Something like Hallmark? Lifetime?

Um.....no.

This movie is right up there with anything you may see in the theater. Netflix hires top notch well-known actors and this particular film was very well made.

I hadn't moseyed on over to Netflix in a really long time, but did so recently because television lately has been slim pickin's and please don't get me started on all of the (yawn) music talent shows that we've had enough of already.

What Happened To Monday was the very first movie I tried on Netflix and was pleasantly surprised on how good it was.

If you like a Sci Fi theme and like a lot of action, then you'll like this a lot. This reminded me of something Mila Jovanovic would have done well in.

I recommend this movie.

Sandcastles (1972 TV Movie)

A Favorite. Want A Remake.

[9/10 · 19 November 2017]

This is one little gem that would truly be welcomed were it to be redone and made current. I'm surprised a studio hasn't grabbed onto this yet. Audiences haven't had a good ghosty love story since well..."Ghost" back in 1990. A remake of this would be a hit if done right. I was only ten years old when Sandcastles came out and my mom let me watch it. Even at ten, I blubbered and cried. I also had a huge girly crush on Jan Michael Vincent. Any young woman would fall for a sweet, kind, good-looking man who died in your arms and comes back as a ghost, due to unfinished business. C'mon Summit or Paramount, scoop up this script and give us a romantic remake. Normally, I loathe remakes, but this would be the perfect story to tell over again. It's a sure- fire way to pack the theaters with females of all ages.

Aftermath (IV) (2017)

Not Plausible

[2/10 · 9 April 2017]

I could easily tell that the budget for this movie was extremely low. Very choppy scene cuts, but I knew this going in, so I got exactly what was expected.

My main problem with a story, whether it be movie, television or a book is if it doesn't seem plausible, then the entire thing goes downhill from there.

As soon as the movie shows the air traffic controller and how the two planes collide is where this falls apart quickly in my eyes.

A phone repair team comes in to dismantle and fix their phone system, which includes an operator to connect the controllers with other airports.

WHO repairs phones in a control tower during high flight times? Why would you leave controllers without an outside line during this time? You don't. Secondly, pilots are ultimately responsible for their planes and passengers, NOT the air traffic controller. The one plane asked for the towers consent to drop altitude, yet never received any confirmation that it was safe to do so. The pilot just did it anyways. Third, if they ARE going to repair phone lines, then management should have made it mandatory that no one leave their post for coffee or any other reason until this was completed.

The fact that they dumped 271 on this one man was absolutely insane. He did everything right, yet the pilot or management was never brought into this at all.

Also, why I know attorneys can be cold and are always thinking of the bottom line, I have had multiple lawyers in my life since 2001 and have spoken to parties on both sides of the fence. Not once have they ever been as cold as this movie portrayed them.

It was easy to see that the screenplay really wanted to drag this down to the bottom of the pond and make the story as black and hopeless as all get out, when it's never as black and white as this.

Someone did not do their research. No one apologizes. Seriously? Give me a break.

OK. Now I'm done complaining.

If you want to try and watch this, be prepared for a very heavy, heavy drama. It is horrible depressing for the first moment until the very end. Normally, I probably would have skipped this, but at the time, there was nothing else to watch. I should have still skipped this one.

The Shunning (2011 TV Movie)

OK, but a Bit Of a Jumbled Mess

[5/10 · 1 March 2017]

I have to check the spoiler box because I suppose I have to discuss aspects of this film that didn't make much sense to me.

While the movie was good for what it was (Hallmark), I felt many of the scenes were short and cut off abruptly, moving quickly on to something else. Like....several mini scenes all strung together to try and tell a story.

We then have Daniel...Katie's boyfriend from three years prior.

This part of the story didn't feel like it belonged or wasn't really necessary.

Who was Daniel and what was going on with that whole thing? He's some mystery boy who liked her music, but somehow disappeared and hasn't returned. It's like she talked to his ghost and a few scenes spent time showing memories of them. Why? They never said how he disappeared or why he never came back. He tells her to never give up her music in case something happens to him. Huh? Can this be more ominous?

Daniels part in this was lost on me....completely.

I LIKE the idea of this, but it wasn't executed correctly.

The movie ends leaving you feeling unsatisfied with it all.

Was it worth the watch? Yes, but could have been done so much better.

Midnight Special (2016)

This Didn't Work

[2/10 · 23 April 2016]

My spoilers are necessary to make my point.

This movie leaves a heck of a lot of information out.

Firstly, the movie seems to start in the middle of an ongoing story.

You're left confused for at least the first fifteen minutes.

Once you get enough information to realize finally what's going on, the rest of it doesn't work.

Yeah. It's a kid with special powers. Mind boggling powers. Not of this Earth powers.

His biological mother and father Roy and Sarah, go on the run with him being chased by a crazy fanatical religious group and of course the government.

The kid tells his parents he is from another planet and he does not belong here. He has to be at a certain place at a certain time.

We, being a smart audience, figure the kid needs to be there, cause his race of alien relatives, will be picking him up at this location.

Unfortunately, the government figures out where the location is too and is only one step behind them at each and every turn.

This is why the movie did not work (I mean if the lack of answers and information didn't already do you in).

If the kid is from another planet, has powers and while looks human, isn't, HOW are those two his biological parents?

How do two people from Earth, give birth to an alien kid from another planet?

No. We are not supposed to come to our conclusions and figure it out in our heads. It's OK if some movies leave a smidge to the imagination, but when you make a scenario completely impossible, it doesn't mesh. If there's a big story about how two human from Earth gave birth to an alien kid, you cannot leave all of that out of a story. It's too much.

The way they did this makes it sound like aliens messed with human creation and implanted their own DNA into the womb of a human here on Earth.

In the movie the kid says "they've been watching us for a long time."

Viewers like a beginning, a middle and an end.

Bringing people into a story where you feel like you missed the first half hour, isn't pleasant. Confusion is no fun.

Having dad's, mom's and alien kids who couldn't possibly be related, but are, doesn't work.

Sorry. While this flick was somewhat interesting, I did not like the format, or the lack of information. Way too much was missing.

Did. Not. Work.

Edge of the Garden (2011 TV Movie)

Excellent TV Movie

[10/10 · 23 December 2015]

I usually skip most TV movies these days because they're cheaply made with bad acting.

Lifetime movies don't impress me at all and I refuse to watch them anymore.

The Sci Fi channel will only make a decent movie once in a while with the gap between the good ones and the bad flicks getting wider and wider. I skip most of these as well.

Hallmark can make a schmaltzy film like the rest of the television networks, but they do much, much better than many.....Why?

I don't have the answer, but most of their movies are regarded by many as a much higher quality than so many other channels and this movie was no exception.

It was really good.

Edge Of The Garden reminded me instantly of The Lake House with Sandra Bullock. That movie however confused the heck out of me and after seeing it a couple of times, I still don't get it.

Then, this movie had some aspects of Somewhere In Time with Jane Seymour and Christopher Reeve.

Not quite the same as either of those, but similar.

This made for television story was done very well. A young woman from 1960 can somehow talk to the man who now lives in her house 50 years later.

Any more than that would be spoilers.

It's definitely a chick flick, but one of the better ones.

Don't miss this. You'll be glad you didn't.

Well worth the watch!