jsaus63304 Reviews

Fool Me Once (2024)

The ending was a surprise-and I had read the book.

[6/10 · 5 January 2024]

I always enjoy limited series as I am not left hanging for a year for the next season or worse, just left hanging. I also like the author and have read most of his books, including this one about 3-4 years ago.

I, so far have been disappointed with the Harlan Coben adaptations and this one did little to change that. As is true in his books, there was a lot of plot twists and misdirection. It was overly drawn out and could have been done in 5 or 6 episodes easily. To be truthful I do not remember the exact ending of the book, but the series did nothing to jog my memory. I am sure it was revised a bit.

Not bad, but not the best series out there.

Jurassic World Dominion (2022)

Time to stop.

[4/10 · 7 January 2023]

No wonder it made it to Amazon Prime 6 months after its theatrical release. It was sort of a Jurassic Park meets Indiana Jones movie. The whole movie was a chase and escape adventure movie. There was almost no plot at all. All of the charm and story of the original movie was gone. This was just another attempt to squeeze a little more money from the franchise.

If you have the time, watch the original. It was innovative and entertaining. This was to be expected though. It happens all the time on successful movies. Unfortunately, the originality is lost and we just have the name left. Watch it if it is free, it is worth that.

Ted Lasso (2020–2023)

Only a few episodes in, but love it

[9/10 · 16 November 2022]

I thought this would be a stupid show and almost passed on it. Sure glad I did not. It is genuinely funny. You just have to pay attention to catch some of the humor.

Seems like this show has kind of brought Major League to the soccer field. Hope the rest of the series does not disappoint.

Well that is all I had to say, but it is not enough for IMDB so I will ramble. Maybe I need to watch more to write more. This is really dumb to have to do this. It wastes both of our time.

Well that is all I had to say, but it is not enough for IMDB so I will ramble. Maybe I need to watch more to write more. This is really dumb to have to do this. It wastes both of our time.

Keep Breathing (2022)

There is better use for your time

[4/10 · 1 August 2022]

This series is really pretty unrealistic and becomes boring rather quickly. Most of the series is flashbacks and often pretty much the same ones over and over. At least the episodes were short, but it is still 3 hours of your time that you will never get back. At least there should not be a season 2.

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Something rare-a sequel that is better then the original

[9/10 · 9 June 2022]

I had heard that this was better than the original Top Gun from 1986, so before going to the big screen, I watched it on Amazon Prime. After watching it, I thought that will not be hard to beat. I was much more impressed 36 years ago. That said, this movie is outstanding. If you have not seen the original or it has been a while, rewatch it. There are many flashbacks and references that you do not want to miss.

The plot is good, but extremely predictable. That does not take away from a superb cast, great visuals and just a good movie. Well worth your time.

Traitors (2019)

Could not finish it

[3/10 · 13 April 2022]

I really like this type of show, but after a couple episodes, it was just going nowhere. I have better things to do with my time, as should you. No plot, poor acting, dark scenes. At least the clothing and set looks accurate.

The Endgame (2022)

One and done

[4/10 · 7 March 2022]

I liked the Blacklist and thought this would be similar. I stopped watching the Blacklist as it became tedious and ran out of steam. This series is already far below that level. Time to move on.

Reacher (2022– )

Best recent series I have watched

[8/10 · 8 February 2022]

Most of the recent series I have watched have been terrible, but this one is an exception. I have read some of the Reacher books, including the one this was supposed to be based on. I has probably been 10 years since I read them, so I can not speak how well it followed, but they sure got the physical aspects of Jack Reacher right. Tom Cruise in the movie sure did not fit the mold.

Although there was quite a bit of violence, there was also a plot and character development. That is a rare thing today as most series are just chases and explosions with little regard to script. This is a winner and I hope they follow with a quality season two.

American Crime Story (2016– )

A bit biased

[7/10 · 3 November 2021]

Having lived through this, I find it a bit biased in the Clinton's favor. It tries to make you sympathetic for Bill Clinton. With Monica Lewinski being a producer, I do not know how she allowed the casting for her character. The look is just wrong, she was not that heavy. Clive Owen does not look much like Clinton did, but he nailed the mannerisms and speech. If you close your eyes, you can see Bill Clinton. Then there is Hillary. No matter how hard I try, I only see Edie Falco. Did she not even try to sound or act like her?

Midnight Mass (2021)

Hold on for Episode 4

[8/10 · 27 September 2021]

Just when you think you know what this series is about-everything changes.

I know there are a lot of complaints about the dialog. Those must come from people who just want an action/adventure show with no plot. I found the writing to be engrossing. It is not often that a writer can string more than a dozen words together.

Watch all the way through.

Awake (2007)

Wasted potential

[6/10 · 6 August 2021]

While the concept was good, the execution was less so. The acting was less than stellar and the hospital scenes were a bit hard to accept. Uncovering the scheme sort of just happened. The plot holes were enormous but the movie was just good enough to keep watching. With a little better writing and acting, this could have been a very good movie.

Lupin (2021– )

I do not understand the low reviews

[8/10 · 21 July 2021]

I usually do not like to watch dubbed offerings from Netflix, but this came recommended so I tried it. They did a good job dubbing and if you do not concentrate on the lips, you soon do not notice it at all. It was a fun little series that put you in mind of the old Mission 'impossible series. Sure, there were some stretches but overall it was well done.

All I can figure with the low rating is that they are from people that like non stop chases, gun fights and explosions instead of a story line that you need to follow.

Rake (2010– )

Three great seasons

[8/10 · 6 May 2021]

I loved the Cleaver character. He kind of reminded me of "House" as a lawyer instead of a doctor. As with so many series like this, the writers run out of materiel and it goes from quirky and funny to over done. I am in the middle of the 5th season and it is not nearly up to the standards of the previous seasons. They should have quit after season 3 when there was still good material.

Bliss (I) (2021)

That was pretty lame

[4/10 · 12 March 2021]

It should be renamed "Piss". If you think this movie is going to be like The Matrix or Oblivion, you will be disappointed. While the concept was valid, the presentation was just terrible. Is Selma Hayek really that bad an actress or was she trying to be that lame? I have got to stop watching yhese Amazon and Netflix originals.

Black Panther (2018)

Watched on granddaughter recommendation

[3/10 · 29 December 2020]

Having grown up in the DC comics era, I did not really know the Marvel universe. My granddaughter. She wanted to watch a Marvel movie and I asked what was the best. She said this was it. Well, her opinion and mine are vastly different. Lack of character development, lack of plot and sub par action scenes abound.

Seems like they tried to put together a film based on other winners. It reminded me of Star Wars and Spiderman throughout. Add in an agenda and you have a loser of a movie. I have no idea how this movie got am overall 7+ rating. Ther are better choices.

Safety (2020)

A bit disappointing

[5/10 · 21 December 2020]

I like movies based on real people so I was looking forward to this one. While it had potential, it never really lived up to it. Somehow it never grabbed you like other movies of this type. Look to movies like "Rudy", "Invincible", "Remember the Titans". "We Are Marshall". "Greater" and others before watching this one. Perhaps the writers and directors should have watched them too.

Dash & Lily (2020)

Good formula romance

[8/10 · 11 November 2020]

We have all seen it before. Boy meets girl. They are attracted to each other. Things get complicated and they part just to end up together.

Difference here is that this one is worth watching. There is a bit of a twist as to how they meet and what their relationship is. Watched it straight through this evening.

Good holiday movie.

The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)

Why did I sit through this?

[4/10 · 29 April 2020]

Do not watch if you have anything else to do. This film is just totally weird. The acting starts off sounding like they are reading the script for the first time. About half way through the movie, they start sounding pretty normal. Unfortunately, the movie just gets stranger. Just when you think it will all come together, it just ends. Take this not as a review, but a warning.

Case 39 (2009)

There are parts that will make you jump

[7/10 · 15 April 2020]

All in all, a pretty good thriller movie. The movie is well acted and a decent plot and writing. If I had a complaint, it was that it revealed the plot too early. Better pacing or a shorter movie would be better. At least the end did not leave it open to a sequel.

Rocketman (I) (2019)

Not quite what I expected

[6/10 · 22 October 2019]

First of all, I have great respect for any actor that does his own singing in a movie and Taron Egerton did an admirable job in that respect. While you could tell the difference in j=his voice and Elton John's, the phrasing. tempo and accenting were spot on. Also, with glasses on, he looked a lot like him. Unfortunately, when he took them off, he looked more like Kevin Spacey.

What disappointed me was the movie itself. I was expecting more of a documentary of his life and career, but it is purely a musical set to the music of Elton John, The chronology was off and I do not believe there was a complete song in the entire movie. Overall, it was not as good as "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Jersey Boys" or "The Buddy Holly Story" All of which painted a more complete life story. At least the music was good enough to have you singing along.

Downton Abbey (2019)

Much better than I expected

[9/10 · 30 September 2019]

I watched all of the series because the wife watched it. I found the series interesting and got to know the characters and their quirks. When the movie was announced, I thought it would just be another money grab. Usually the story is poor and the acting is phoned in. Quite the opposite was true. The story was decent and the actors did a great job. They maintained the personalities of the series. If you did not watch the series you would probably find the movie less enjoyable, but that is true for any sequel. As was mentioned by others, the gay segment was unnecessary and totally out of context in the movie. It did not spoil the movie, but it certainly added nothing and it never occurred in the series. The rest of the characters stayed true to the series.

The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair (2018)

Watch it all before you decide

[9/10 · 12 September 2019]

This is actually a very good who dunnit rather than a story about an affair. A lot of negative reviews were based on the first 2 or 3 episodes. Let me tell you, it gets better and better as it goes on. Not to spoil anything, but there are a lot of twists and turns and you do not know what really happens until the end. Like I said, watch it all and you will enjoy it. It is a ride.

MegaFault (2009 TV Movie)

This may be the worst movie I have ever seen

[1/10 · 21 July 2019]

That was just awful. I sat through the whole thing just saying to myself-"it has to get better". Spoiler--it doesn't. Believe all the one star reports. The special effects are terrible and the acting is even worse. I should know better than to watch a SyFy channel movie.

What/If (2019)

Could have been a really good series

[5/10 · 4 June 2019]

When I watched the first two episodes, it had me intrigued. It seemed like a good concept and had some decent character development. Somewhere in the middle, someone figured out that they had to make 10 episodes and just made up stuff to use up the time. Would have been better at 6 episodes or better writing for 10. Still worth watching.

BTW, this is not an anthology series as described.

You (2018–2024)

Now I know where Dexter is

[8/10 · 5 January 2019]

I am just 4 episodes in, but I am really enjoying it. It is dark and definitely will not appeal to all. For me, I was about 15 minutes into the show and it dawned on me-the narrative was right out of one of my favorites. "Dexter"