Change Your Image
jediwebdude@yahoo.com
Reviews
The Wheel of Time (2021)
Too slow, minimal entertainment value
Season 2 is worse than season 1. Too slow, too much dialogue, and not enough action. Characters are over-acted. Special effects are lame. Story takes too long to arrive at climactic scenes. Repetitive themes with little progression.
Contrast this with The Witcher on Netflix: lots of action, a convincing cast, engaging subplots building toward climactic scenes, and quick dialogues.
It seems like the writers of Wheel of Time didn't know what to do with some of the characters in Season 2. Scattered themes with little substance, and unconvincing characters have turned this into a big disappointment.
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)
Not as good as I hoped, political bias was annoying
Action wasn't as thrilling. Seriously, if action scenes don't contain elements of realism, the fabrication of the whole thing overshadows the entertaining value. The story line was good. Acting was good. Action scenes were lame.
Clearly the writers have strong disdain for U.S. Republicans, Christians, and anyone who doesn't fall for the Al Gore-ish theory on global warming. Taking jabs at both sides of the political spectrum is always a good way to get laughs, but targeting only one side through use of unfounded exaggerations is more of an annoyance. Was waiting for MSNBC to appear in the writing credits.
Looking forward to seeing what roles Sophie Cookson will play in the future. She's a pretty girls with a strong resemblance to Kiera Knightly.
The Three Musketeers (2011)
Perplexed on how a decent budget could fail
The good: Scenes and scenery. About half of the action choreography. Phenomenal acting by Milla Jovovich, and great acting by Juno Temple and Freddie Fox. The added element of being airborne.
The bad: A plethora of predictable cliché lines. Lousy script. Bad acting by Macfayden. Orlando Bloom was unconvincing in his role. Ray Stevenson didn't have many lines, but the ones he did have fell into the predictable category. Luke Evans drifted in and out of being convincing. Some of the choreographed action scenes were executed poorly.
If it wasn't for Jovovich, I would have dropped this to a 4. She was the most convincing cast member who made most of the actors around seem like rookies.
Act of Valor (2012)
Finally, a movie reflecting reality instead of political correctness
The movie was captivating and, of course, realistic. The absence of political correctness was a welcome change. So tired of the movie industry insisting on being PC. Appreciated the fact that this movie identified America's biggest enemy instead of side- stepping the reality for sake of being PC.
Nice to see U.S. soldiers portrayed in a realistic light. Contrast that portrayal with recent military themed movies where soldiers were portrayed as grown problem children.
Acting was decent, scenes were exhilarating, and the bond between the soldiers was touching. Great plot, which was frighteningly realistic. The story was somewhat predictable, but how it all played out was not. This movie will have me thinking for a while.
Winter's Bone (2010)
"Deliverance" inaccurately shaped perception of Appalachian culture, let's hope this doesn't do the same for Ozarks
Friends know I grew up in the area, and know I return multiple times a year for family gatherings. So I encounter the "have you seen Winter's Bone?" question frequently. My more inquisitive friends probe deeper with "is meth a big problem back home?" or "is it really like that there?" My favorite is: "is it safe for you to return home?"
I haven't read the novel, but I did finally view the movie tonight and I must say that for the most part, the story theme, while intriguing, was off-base, and the cultural/societal portrayal was quite far-fetched. People really aren't that dramatic. There isn't some sort of unwritten code of conduct. The bloodline-based devotion is way overstated. The instant transmission of knowledge is absurd. It just ain't like that, folks.
Sure, there were some accurate portrayals. Poverty, roughnecking, and continuously bad decision making all exist there...just as it all exists in nearly every community throughout the USA. But that only accounts for a small percentage of the Ozarkian community.
The derogatory-redneck, white trash, emotion-guided individuals represented in the movie are not as prevalent as the movie attempts to reveal. There are many who don the image with fashion choices and sound like stupid hicks, but are in fact intelligent. Many are great at running businesses, some hold advanced degrees, most are friendly rather than hostile or suspicious, and not everyone is driving around in outdated vehicles.
The 5 stars I awarded are for the great acting. The missing 5 stars are for the ridiculous portrayal of my homeland and my people.
Dragon Hunter (2009)
This was made in the 2000s? Seriously?
When the movie ended (yes, I endured the entire thing), I sat there staring at the screen and uttered the words, "What the heck?" I felt like I just watched a fantasy-themed production from the early 1970s. I gave it 2 stars only because Kelly Stables was a decent actress, but even she was not convincing in her role. The low budget was obvious, especially during the fight scenes when apparently they could only afford to hire an undernourished person for holding the heavy camera. Either camera mounting gear was unavailable on those days for renting, or it was just cheaper to hire someone off the street who lacked the strength to hold the camera steady.
Guess no one in the editing team has access to after effects software. Lighting, mood setting, color tinting--you know, the visual impact basics that decorate the scenes with an altered element--were completely absent. Heh...the outfits worn by the villagers with fresh dirt applied in an attempt to give a worn, soiled look was a severe distraction.
Intrigue is what captivates an audience. Character depth, convincing roles, unpredictable story lines, and visual impact create intrigue. This movie had nothing in the way of intrigue.
This ranks as the second worst production in my viewing list. The actors may want to strike this from their tear sheet list of accomplishments.
The Hurt Locker (2008)
Out-of-touch, intentional mis-characterization, and full-blown disregard for U.S. military
This cruel portrayal of our military wreaks of unjustified insult and utter disrespect. The blatant characterization of American soldiers as barbaric, borderline psychotic, and insensitive ruthless killers who betray their families for the alleged addiction to the thrill of the kill ranks as the worst offense Hollywood has lobbed against our military yet.
Hopefully most viewers see through the pseudo realism of this film and recognize that American soldiers do not fit the mold put forth by the film's creators and writers. Sadly, this movie is showing internationally and places the American military into an unwarranted stereotype that is damaging to their credibility.
Shame on the director and writer, as well as the acting team, for using the entertainment medium of film to promote an obvious anti-U.S. military sentiment.
Was the acting good? Sure. Were the scenes and action well shot? Yes. For each of these, I granted a star. But nothing more in the movie deserves a star.
Beverly Hills Chihuahua (2008)
Excellent Family-Friendly Comedy
As a family, we thoroughly enjoyed this clean, hilarious, and cute comedy. Unrealistic? Yes, but who cares if Mountain Lions really don't travel in packs. Some of the funniest lines are quotable.
Acting was fairly decent. The animals were all very convincing in their roles, including the rodents. Voice-overs were well synced. The plot was clever, and only somewhat predictable. Piper's performance was superb.
This movie serves as proof that Hollywood can still generate family-friendly movies without the sexual innuendos and toilet humor. Would love to see a sequel with the same characters.
Earthsea (2004)
Worse than a B movie production
The storyline is somewhat intriguing, even though it seems to derive from a "Lord of the Rings meets Harry Potter" mentality. The cast lineup was an interesting mix. Whoever thought Danny Glover was wizard material was wrong. Ian McKellen made us believe he was Gandalf. Danny Glover never came close. And how about that student of wizardry? Daniel Radcliffe made us believe he was really Harry Potter...but Shawn Ashmore was unconvincing of his magical academic pursuit and heroic role.
The production quality resembled the Conan movies of the 1980s. The inexperienced acting by the supporting cast makes me wonder if the payroll budget was spent entirely on the primary actors. Sound and visual directing exemplified a B movie style...something I did not expect from the Sci-Fi Channel, which brought us the incredible Dune series.
It will be interesting to see if the movie spawns an increase in book sales of the EarthSea literary series. I fear it may do more harm than good.