wbagot1 Reviews

Fortress 2: Re-Entry (2000)

This was not as bad as people were making it out to be

[6/10 · 23 May 2024]

This is nowhere near one of the worst movies made, couldn't sit through it, etc.

It's been mentioned that the actress who plays the wife changed. Well yes, that can happen after 8 years. She had a major role in the original. She didn't here, and that fit the story. Now if Christopher Lambert wasn't the same, then that can be a problem.

It's still the same strong theme of the main guy would do anything for his family.

There's more nudity than the original. It made sense to the story.

There's less overt bloodshed. That made sense too. There's really nothing gratuitous with this film.

It's sold as this time the fortress is even more sophisticated. It's really not. Apart from being 26,000 thousand miles in space, it's actually easier ... but then it would be difficult to be harder than the first film.

There's a cool scene with him in an isolated greenhouse type environment in space. There's another where he's able to survive briefly out in space without a helmet as he zips by. Just let it go-it's not a documentary.

It's more campy, but you can still sit back and enjoy the escaping and how they make it happen.

Just like the first film, it had a definitive ending and it could have had a sequel. This time, after 24 years, I don't think there's going to be a 3rd.

The Gospel of John (2014)

Okay, but ...

[5/10 · 4 April 2024]

At first I liked it.

It is literally a complete reading of the Book of John in the Bible from beginning to end. While the book was being read, people playing the parts of the characters, are in the background acting out in a way that would tie into the reading. The visual recreation would give more of an idea of the era and a stronger way to remember than listening alone.

As it went on though, my perception changed. At first the narrator read everything the same. But at a certain point he started to give extra emphasis and change in tone and volume. It turned it more theatrical while I had liked just having the words speak for themselves.

Then a troubling aspect started to take place with Jesus in the background. All too often he was looking angry and he didn't seem to have the love of Jesus come out. In checking the actor and the studio, neither seem to have any Christian connection. So while providing the complete words from John with a backdrop was a novel idea, I found myself being pushed away from the actual Jesus presented.

Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist (2023)

Pretty Good

[8/10 · 4 April 2024]

Why a 4.3 rating when the unweighted is a 5.7 and it would be 7.4 if the 1's were removed?

Most people like it with solid scores. It's not up there with The God Father, but it's pretty solid.

It picks up 6 months after the previous 2014 movie after the Rapture. As such the world is still reeling from the shockwaves, but the initial shock has passed. The pain of missing loved ones and wondering what happened to them is still present, but life goes on in a world that is still semi broken and waiting for someone to give it new direction.

And we know who that's going to be, as the characters slowly learn. But which world figure will present himself?

I liked how they went beyond the books and speculated additional ways the powers still on the earth would try to cover up what happened. They also added modern concepts that weren't around when the books were written. And, let's face it, the books could get pretty campy but the movie avoided that problem. It seemed to capture how it could unfold more seamlessly.

Lifeforms (2023)

Too esoteric

[4/10 · 27 February 2024]

I didn't expect much as I was pretty sure it was one of those shoestring home shot movies. I recently watched Gabriel which was inexpensive, and frankly was a better movie. I thought this was filmed in Australia or New Zealand and was surprised it was filmed in the United States.

The reality that the film tries to create doesn't make much sense. The point honed in on is that the universe creates parts of itself to experience life so it can learn about itself. Okay, but after 14 billion years, how long does it take to learn?

We are just dust, the temporary expression of this desire to learn that passes back on into nothingness. There may have been something in there too about the strongest force being love. It was hard to tell.

The main character has found the love of his life and they're going to get married, but he has to go into space for 7 years to a worm hole and find out if we are more than dust. It's not really explained how this will give him the answer. The mission is one that was tried by his father earlier and he was lost forever, but this time they think they've got it. It doesn't work and he's lost forever too, but signals are being sent to earth and she's still pining for him even though she's going to marry a new man, and the fact that he left her for at least 7 years on something he knew had never been successfully done doesn't seem to impact her holding out for him either.

It turns out there are earths all over the universe, apparently created by the universe as part of its 14 billion year road of self discovery. He could just stay on one of these alternate earths where people have alternate timelines and time moves at different rates. They're also the ones that created the wormhole, somehow, even though they look just like us and have our same level of development and even the same people, except there's also a spaceship in the air.

It's never explained how this whole endeavor was supposed to answer whether we're dust. There's never any mention of theologians or going to them for perspectives on the soul or the meaning of life. It's 7 years in space or bust.

In the end he goes back to his earth, finds 80 years have passed and it's a flaming burned out world, and that's it. He walks into space in his suit until he runs out of air or something like that. I'm not sure what the universe learned about life from him, but hopefully it's important.

Gabriel (2007)

Not Bad

[7/10 · 9 February 2024]

When a movie is made for <$200,000 there's an expectation of some pretty bad acting, sets, and camera work. None of that is true here.

That $200,000 was actually without salaries, which were bypassed unless the film was picked up by a studio ... which it was.

I'm guessing the lead actor later joining Spartacus gave this a boost, but his untimely death from cancer will prevent a sequel to the storyline. As with many world creations, they were envisioning a trilogy to fill out what it was like, but since it's 16 years after the original at the time I'm writing this, I doubt it will happen-especially since some of the actors from the original were going to be in the next movie.

It did make me think of the movie Priest where there is a creative world storyline where more films can be made, but it also never happened.

The movie is a fight between Good and Evil for the world of purgatory as it says at the start. Basically Evil has all but won by the time Gabriel arrives, the last of the arch angels. Can he turn it around and let daylight shine through again? Or is purgatory doomed to eternal darkness?

And as he has taken human form for the first time and is cut off from the source, what happens the longer he is away from the goodness? And it is revealed that the earlier angels found out that if they die here, then they die for real. Although how they know this, and if it's really true, isn't stated.

As others have said it's surprisingly well done and cerebral, being as much a testimony to human nature as to the supernatural.

There is a surprise twist as the movie unfolds that I'm not going to divulge here even though I'm giving spoilers. It should experienced from watching the movie itself.

I did think his sudden burst of strength at the end didn't make much sense, especially since the entire time they talked about him getting weaker and foolishly using his energy. It was needed for the outcome, but it should have been explained.

And another reviewer was saying the final scene leaves you hanging. Apparently in the Australian version it continues so you find he gave up his angel essence and is now human like everyone else in purgatory and they will live their own lives without being under the arch angels or the fallen angels ... at least until the sequel that will never be made.

The Flash (I) (2023)

Power Creep

[5/10 · 29 October 2023]

I can see why this movie bombed so horribly at the box office and why the DCEU reboot is retroactively not taking place with this movie as we were originally told.

Okay, everyone shines in their own movie.

But if Captain America 3 had him brawling with Thor Mano-a-Mano and continuously knocking the blonde god on his butt with power punches, that would be a definite case of what's happening here? This makes no sense.

That's this movie. The "flashes" - Barry and an earlier version of himself-are continuously putting down the battalions of Kryptonians who landed during the original Man of Steel (2013). That's like taking on a dozen Supermans at once without Kryptonite ... and triumphing.

No way.

The last time we saw The Flash and Superman together they were running side by side after The Justice league to see who was faster. This movie opens with although Kryptonians can see Flash move with his super speed and track it the whole way, it's apparently only their eyes and turning heads that work. The rest of their body moves in slow motion even as they're seeing Flash's every move.

There's also that when you make any change in time it goes backwards too ... an idea that I'm sure will die with this movie. And their own version of multiverses colliding was so amateurish in comparison to what was presented in Marvell's Doctor Strange that you'll wonder if they were also filmed 30 years ago like many of the characters they show in flashback.

It's hard for a superhero movie to score too low. After all they are filled with excitement and high budgets, but this one had some huge gaps in the story plot that they thought wouldn't matter as long as it was exciting ... but plot does matter and you better come up with a strong script that makes sense ... and this wasn't it.

Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism (2023)

Not a Halloween movie

[5/10 · 29 October 2023]

How come the same 2 reviews are printed over and over with just slight word changes ... and of course using different account names?

Since it keeps bringing up people involved in the picture as savants in their field, I can only assume the reviewers were involved in the picture.

While that makes it seem like everyone believed it was a cinematic masterpiece, the 5.7 overall rating paints a different picture.

It follows the path everyone expects if you realize it's not a horror story at all but rather based on a real episode that happened 30 years ago in Australia. A broken-down ghost town setting and a health system that failed by letting out a woman with extreme bizarre behaviors led to a cult being called in for an exorcism that had never actually performed an exorcism. You can guess the results.

Does it make for an interesting movie? Well a 5 or so, and a lot of disappointed people who thought they were getting something more.

Flesh+Blood (1985)

I can't believe women's groups never condemned this

[1/10 · 31 July 2023]

I couldn't believe what I saw when I watched it.

I came in on the group stopping the stagecoach by pretending to be seeking alms before they killed the guard and then gang raped the girl ... and she, of course, enjoyed it when the main villain was raping her. She couldn't get enough of it.

The men at arms were absolutely pathetic as fighters. I'd swear an old woman could kick their a**** ... in fact I think one of them might have.

At least by the end there would be some retribution. The guy would die some kind of horrible death.

Of course not. It ends with him getting away scot free and her looking at her rapist longing in the distance. There's nothing like the love a woman feels after being raped to really finish off a movie.

The 5th Wave (2016)

Not as bad as claimed

[7/10 · 7 December 2022]

I thought it was good for what it was.

It's been dinged for leads being attracted to each other during the Apocalypse. Well Anne Frank talked of her growing attraction in The Diary of Anne Frank. Human physiology still goes on. It wasn't overdone.

It's been mentioned that it was predictable. The highest grossing movie ever when it was made, Titanic, was based on everyone knowing the ending. I felt it matched the setting. I wouldn't have been fooled-especially since I watched The Outer Limits-but then I'm not in the movie and I've had a lot more life experiences than the characters.

The eeriness of an alien entity who never communicates slowly killing off the world is a strong draw.

I thought the total movie was enjoyable enough. I also thought it ended fine. There may have been a strong set up for another movie, but no more than World War Z.

Les Grands Mythes (2014–2021)

False Mythology

[3/10 · 28 March 2021]

There are far too many segments that are simply made up. Rather than teaching ancient mythology and understanding the Greek culture that created it, it weaves a story believed to appeal to a modern audience.

Show me anywhere in historical writings where Zeus turned into a snake and killed his mother, Rhea? Enough said.

Battlefield Earth (2000)

Overall, a subpar movie in just about every way

[3/10 · 22 October 2019]

You would think this was a typical B movie done on a shoe-string budget, not a full blown Hollywood film.

The same goes for the actors including, surprisingly, John Travolta. While he obviously has a strong devotion to L. Ron Hubbard and his books, somehow he just misfires.

The acting is bad; the dialogue is bad; the story is confusing. I never quite understood how a force that conquered the earth in 9 minutes almost 1000 years ago somehow left behind a weapon that could destroy their whole world and had their airborne ships on earth being destroyed by 1000 year old harrier jets ... and how did the jets even start and the missiles stay in working condition after 1000 years?

Another stupid scene: With his world destroyed and with him captured in a type of cage, the enemy leader who had overseen earth is suddenly pleased because one of his guys walks in with a gun ... you lost your entire planet and you think a single guy with a weapon is going to defeat the group who overthrew you? It was rather bizarre.

If you're going to watch it, do so as a novelty, knowing that you are about to see what was supposed to be a Hollywood level movie ... and marvel at just how bad it is versus your expectations.

Star Trek: Enterprise: These Are the Voyages... (2005) Season 4, Episode 22

It was a creative ending (Spoiler at bottom)

[9/10 · 16 July 2019]

I seem to be in the minority, but I liked this episode.

The biggest problem with the legacy of Enterprise is that it was only thought up 30 years after the original series, so the people aren't mentioned in the Original Series or the Next Generation, both of which take place after Enterprise in the Star Trek time line.

So how do you fix this problem?

You make an episode in the future, 200 years in the future, talking about Enterprise, it's crew, and what they accomplished.

It filled in a number of things. It showed that not only were the crew of Enterprise remembered, but 200 years in the future the speech that Archer gives to form the Federation is required to be memorized by Federation school children ... wow.

It was a great tie-in between the series that didn't have any tie-in before then. And for those who think it was a 1 star because they used the crew of the New Generation, Enterprise had 2.5 million viewers, whereas The Next Generation took in 20 million. The finale has a wide overreach to an audience 10 times larger for trek continuity and to boost up Enterprise into the line of its bigger brothers.

There were also complaints because Riker took on the role of Chef to talk to the crew, and Chef wasn't shown to have that role on the show. Well, it's a holodeck program recreating a time 200 years earlier based on records from that time. It's not going to have a specific role for Chef. It speculates how the crew would have reacted to the questions asked. That's fair. In my mind, that's a petty reason not to like the finale.

** Spoiler **

I can understand viewers could have been shocked and annoyed at the death. You grow to like a character for 4 seasons, and then they off him in the last episode. But that's a plot device too. It's certainly been used by other shows like Game of Thrones. It didn't floor me where I hated the episode. It was to build up the final moment, a point in history so profound that was also surrounded by sacrifice.

Maybe if he was wearing a red shirt ...

Green Lantern (2011)

Just bad

[4/10 · 15 June 2019]

I had thought this was filmed before Iron Man and the modern era of Comic Book movies. Sadly, this was after it.

It's as if they went out of their way to ignore everything that made Iron Man successful. This was basically cheesy, unimaginative, predicable, and worse ... boring. It matched the old difference between Marvel and DC and why Marvel passed up DC ... Marvel wrote deep comics that talked up to their audience ... DC wrote corny stuff that worked for the younger set, but lacked depth for the older crowd.

Why waste 200 million dollars putting together a film, only to ruin it with a poor script?

It was a dead end at the box office, with the franchise starting and ending with this movie. It's a shame. There were a lot of possibilities.

I give it a 4 because, well, it's Green Lantern. And of course there are going to be good special effects. It's just a shame there wasn't more.

The 15:17 to Paris (2018)

A well-done movie worth watching

[8/10 · 15 June 2019]

Not sure where all the negativity is coming from.

We get to see the real guys playing themselves. You don't have to wonder what they look and sound like in real life ... it's them. It's not a DIE HARD film, but the real story of the lives of 3 friends from elementary school who stay close and go on a trip to Europe together in their early 20s.

It could be that they were just the type of guys who were born to be heroes ... they weren't. It pulls no punches about their problems in school and in life. Everything doesn't just fall into place for them. The lead guy, Spencer, comes up short in a number of things. He's not a natural savant ... he's a guy like anyone else who gets a lot of things wrong before he gets them right. Overweight all through school, he had to work hard to get in shape to get into the military ... and even then not everything goes his way.

It's actually an American story. Two of the three kids were raised by single mothers. The life-long friends included two White guys and one Black guy ... an easy blending of what America should be and can be.

While getting into trouble, they keep a faith as they reach adulthood that guides their patriotism and forms them as people who will act, not just cower, when suddenly faced with a terrorist attack.

They could be any one of us and we could be them ... that's what makes this gripping. If you want a 90 minute shoot 'em up, it's not for you. If you want a story of regular guys figuring out life who become heroes when they're called to be, then check out this film.

Game of Thrones: The Iron Throne (2019) Season 8, Episode 6

So many mistakes

[6/10 · 20 May 2019]

The show made the plot line to push once again that there's nothing after death ... from a character who was brought back to life ... if there's nothing after, how do you get brought back? There must have been something that survived. Wouldn't anyone pick up on that? Maybe because he was coming back John's soul was put in limbo so it had no interaction?

The episode was, sadly, boring. How can you end an action packed show with more action to come and have it move so slow you're actually waiting for it to get to the next scene.

That's because the amount of plot was very limited. Everything was tidied up with almost no extra at all.

Jon kills Dany the first time they're alone. Anti-climatic. Somehow we never hear about the Dothraki again ... like explaining why they didn't tear his body into tiny parts and eat it.

Greyworm and the unsullied keep him locked up ... after killing their queen. Again, why is he alive?

The council to pick a New king that was supposed to cover the 7 kingdoms seemed to be all northerns or minor houses that didn't even make up most of the kingdoms ... that weren't there.

Bran said before he had no interest in ruling Winterfell ... he was beyond such things ... so instead he becomes king of the kingdoms ... except the north who wants to be free ... and for some reason none of the other kingdoms then want the same.

It's said Bran can have no children, but the last 3 eyed raven lived for like 2000 years. So passing on the throne?

Braun is master of coin ... the guy who is the biggest thief and wants to spend the money to rebuild brothels ... isn't that a way to say they're not taking the kingdom seriously from the start?

And Jon Snow is allowed to go back to the Night's Watch ... again, why wouldn't the unsullied kill him? They're missing at least 1 big speech convincing Greyworm Dany was unhinged. Without that, it makes no sense.

In the end Jon Snow rides off north, against the new vows he just took ... that didn't last long ...

Sorry, too many holes to tie up to put all the characters where they turned up. It didn't work.

That '70s Show: Fun It (2005) Season 8, Episode 7

Not their best episode

[4/10 · 3 May 2019]

I realize with the 2 stars gone by this point that they were desperate to stir up something new, but Donna's sudden personality turn after 8 years wasn't fun, just bizarre.

Mythica: The Godslayer (2016)

The series really picked up, fitting ending

[8/10 · 10 November 2018]

This movie doesn't get the credit it deserves. The fighting and action sequences kept getting better from the original, as did the special effects ... a bit surprising based on the low budget, although it did increase over time.

It was the longest of the movies and brought everything together with a satisfying ending. And the characters continued to develop all the way into the last movie ... in fact especially in the last movie.

Oh, apparently there's some kind of fad to call out Kevin Sorbo for bad acting. For those who don't know, Sorbo (HERCULES) was the big name to draw in fans to watch a shoe-string budget indie film ... and it worked. His role in each movie increased in general and not only was his acting fine, but his time on the screen was integral to the story. I found myself wanting to see him have a larger role, and I was not disappointed.

Over all, a very solid undertaking.

Would You Rather (2012)

Cliched ... and kind of boring

[4/10 · 26 October 2018]

The premise sounded interesting, but it followed a stream of cliches from other movies. It was unoriginal and unimaginative. I at least looked forward to how she would turn the tables on him, but that never happened either ... instead you had the cliched ending ... that you could see coming from a mile away ... that also lacked originality or any redemptive qualities.

Priest (2011)

Pretty Good

[8/10 · 7 August 2018]

Not sure why this has gotten some bad write ups.

It's pretty much what you would expect ... a high action movie with its own plot and world that has some character development, but is focused on the story and fighting. The movie has a definitive ending, although leaving room for sequels if desired.

I like how it creates a world and a setting that is different than our own, yet seems to be own world--just a small throw of the dice difference and it could be us--something that I am always partial to for the creativity required ... whether it's Divergent, The Hunger Games, etc.

In this case it's earth ... except one in which vampires are real and men have been fighting for 1000 years. Humans won with the creation of the "priest", a fighting warrior of prayer and martial skill. But did they really win? Of course, that's why there's a movie. The priests fell out of style, largely blending with society at its lower rung and are largely forgotten. What would happen if there was a threat and they were needed again?

The city setup is well done. It's not great Star Wars level CGI ... but it works and conveys a theocracy living on limited resources, yet not ready to accept the fight hadn't really ended years ago.

You won't be bored, it's an intriguing setting, and you'll have plenty of action.

Overall, a solid picture.

Goliath: Citizens United (2016) Season 1, Episode 8

Disappointing

[4/10 · 7 August 2018]

*** Spoilers ***

The season was conducted at a certain level of sophistication. The interaction between the lawyers was especially interesting.

In the final episode everything comes together. With all of the ups and downs and chess game dynamics of the season, how is he going to win his case?

It's like they had a different writing staff. His nemesis sets up a showdown to be questioned in court, then completely falls apart at the simplest questions.

The title character has no case. The wrong guys won. Then in his closing, he basically says it doesn't matter, you can find the corporation guilty anyway ... which they do ... for 162 million dollars ... so the corporation CEO of course talks to the title character alone and tells him the dastardly truth while agreeing to a 50 million dollar settlement ... the guy hadn't heard about cellphones recording so his confession gets him sent to jail.

In reality, even though we know the corporation was guilty in this series, if you can't make a case they're not guilty by default. They would have appealed and at the very least gotten the verdict chopped down to a couple million, or thrown out all together.

The whole series went from intriguing ... to what just happened? What kind of crap was this to end with? Very disappointing.

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Not that good

[6/10 · 31 October 2017]

I knew when it was the "action" sequence and I was getting bored that I was in trouble.

To sum it up, each of the Avengers destroys dozens of the enemy. You're basically watching a duck hunt instead of something suspenseful. They try to hype up how dangerous it is, then each of the Avengers, no matter how powerful, suddenly becomes super powerful when it comes to destroying the enemy. The writers seemed to think that just having an action sequence was enough. That the people watching would just coo over seeing things destroyed. I wanted more.

*** Spoiler Ahead ***

Okay, then you have the one "unexpected" death. Which frankly was dumb. He was easily fast enough to move the targets out of the way and instead chooses to shield them with his body. I can only assume he was tired of living and wanted to commit suicide. It just made no sense.

Then you have the dramatic reactions to the death ... during the battle ... while civilians are still dying and you're still fighting ... for someone you basically just met. I realize this is common in movies. I just don't like it.

I don't want to make it sound like this is a 2 rating or something like that. The movie is still has the marvel heroes and it still creates a pretty good setting. It's just pretty pale when compared to the original, hence a 6.

The Outer Limits: Lithia (1998) Season 4, Episode 17

Surprised this was made -- Some Spoilers

[3/10 · 3 March 2017]

*** Some Spoilers Ahead ***

Surprised to find something like this in Outer Limits. Let's just say if it were reversed, it would have been considered a horrible form of women bashing, by a woman hating male chauvinist.

Apparently when left to their own, women thrive in peace and give selflessly of themselves for the good of their rulers, who have only their best interests at heart.

But if you interpose just one man, he will of course bring tyranny, might makes right, and do whatever he wants no matter what he's told. He will sow discontent, jealousy, division ... did I leave anything out?

Just in case this could have been viewed as an aberration,it turns out the same experiment was run with 11 different men ... and all of them caused the same upheaval and warfare ... human civilization is basically men trying to fight others, while women know only harmony, unless they are tarnished by men, "the devil."

It could have been a good episode about someone trying to adapt and survive in a different culture, where men and women appreciate the aspects that each brings to a society to make it better.

Yeah, right.

Apart from the very odd plot, which comes across as something written after drinking much alcohol after a bad breakup, the quality of the show isn't bad. The idea is intriguing, the acting is okay, the setting makes sense. It's just that it could have been such a good story ... and it wasn't.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Good film

[8/10 · 24 April 2016]

Not sure why this film was panned ... then again, a 7.4 score by those who saw it would say the critics were out to touch ... and of course critics are often out of touch.

Here are the problems:

They made Lex Luthor too crazy. The #1 aspect of Luthor is his genius, with the line between sanity and insanity lurking under the surface. Some one who was so over the top bonkers would have a hard time getting anything done.

The dream sequences were a bit odd and too frequent and, from my view, wonder woman was too powerful. Unless they've made changes since I was young, she's not invulnerable like superman and her body should have shown more signs of trauma from the battle.

Beyond that though, it was a well put together film that covers a lot of territory and the battle scene between batman and superman and how they got it to take place was well done. Superman is still the good-hearted character we've come to expect, and batman still has a troubled soul.

I recommend it.

The Walking Dead: The Same Boat (2016) Season 6, Episode 13

Slow -- and of course the one dumb thing all kidnappers do

[5/10 · 14 March 2016]

I don't think this should have been a full episode. It really ground to a halt the action pace that had been happening in previous episodes. It would have worked better as a 20 minute segment of another episode cutting back and forth. And overall the characters and how they reacted were a bit too predictable to me ... like we've seen all of this before.

** Mild Spoiler ***

And I'm too old to watch the same eye-rolling scene again and again. Kidnappers leave the kidnapped alone in the room ... and the door unlocked behind them. (Groan)

Captain from Castile (1947)

Good Film

[9/10 · 26 August 2009]

In watching this film, I was amazed how little they explained of the historical aspects. It reminded me that in 1948, students still learned and knew more of history than is common today and would have already had a knowledge of the time period.

The dangerous mix of secular and religious motives in the Inquisition, different motives between the Conquistadores and the priests, the burning of the ships under Cortez, the addition of native Indians siding with the Spanish (as shown by their ever growing presence with the Spanish armies, but never actually discussed) and the march of the Spanish through Aztec territory followed history to a T.

Much of the later Indian culture was destroyed from differing immune systems. Namely, germ strains that Europeans had resistance to such as small pox, decimated the native populations. This movie takes place before that, and does so very accurately.