jeremy-clay59 Reviews

Civil War (2024)

The trailer doesn't do this film justice...

[9/10 · 10 April 2024]

I was genuinely incredibly impressed by this movie. After watching the trailer, I was expecting an Expendables type of film. The reality is that this movie is brilliant. A dark twist and a brief insight into photo journalism and the horrors of war. A lot of time and effort has clearly gone into the production of this film. The way the actors move and react to situations added to the realism and added to the enjoyment of the viewer. Kirstin Dunst wasn't my first choice but her performance was spot on. I would recommend watching this film in IMax at the cinema. A lot of the drama would not necessarily be transferred to the small screen. Highly recommend.

Late Night with the Devil (2023)

A masterful movie

[9/10 · 25 March 2024]

I am genuinely surprised by how good this film is. The period setting is divine and excellently executed. The cast is also on point and does a fantastic job. I love the echo of not only the time period Late Night with the Devil is set in but also an almost Grindhouse feel to the movie. Especially the narrator at the beginning of the film. It's very hard not to write a review with spoilers. However, I think this film is best enjoyed without much prior knowledge. In conclusion, I also greatly enjoyed how the film, although fictional, uses actual events as a rich tapestry to deliver the story. There is a real Anton LeVey feel to it all...

White Tiger (2012)

Excellent Movie

[8/10 · 12 September 2023]

First off, watch this movie in Russian. The English dubbing is a little questionable. I was pleasantly surprised by how good this film is. It echoes the horrors of war with a touch of masterclass.

The effects are superb and I thoroughly enjoyed the tank battles. The main character has a brilliant touch of the supernatural about him. It is evident a lot of effort, money and talent were poured into this movie.

My main regret is that I missed this movie for many years. If I were to throw a criticism at this film, it would be the ending. Although still good, it does loose it's way a little and deviates from the films main objective.

Don't let that minor criticism put you off. One to stick on the watch list.

The Blood Lands (2014)

Stinking pile of pig poo

[1/10 · 12 September 2023]

I would rather sit down and watch a JCVD straight to DVD movie than this rubbish. The main characters have about as much personality as a brick. In fact I was rooting for the bad guys throughout the movie. The script is shocking, the story line non-sensical and the movie is littered with time fillers. This movie is a perfect example why there is a stark decline in the British Movie industry. Long gone are the days of greats like Peter Guinness, Peter Cushing etc.

Avoid this abomination of a film at all costs. Not even beer and pizza can save this steaming mess. I'm just disappointed that this even got a 4 out of 10.

Asteroid City (2023)

Asteroid City

[3/10 · 28 June 2023]

I loved The Grand Hotel Budapest and I must say I was looking forward to Asteroid City. The art and the way Asteroid City is filmed is superbly. The camera angles and movement are signature Wes Anderson. Unfortunately, I found the story extremely weak and although it's littered with a who's who of Hollywood, it's a bit of a lame horse. I would of liked to write a synopsis but the story line is so confused, it actually became boring rather than titillating.

In a nutshell genius children assemble in Asteroid City for a competition. A random alien comes down and steals an Asteroid...only to return it later. However, is it all real? No it's all a play and actually a story of the main characters being actors in said play.

Disappointed and left wanting a movie with the magnificence of The Grand Hotel Budapest. Definitely a miss rather than a hit.

Knock at the Cabin (2023)

Dave's a knock out

[8/10 · 17 February 2023]

I thoroughly enjoyed Knock at the cabin. Dave Bautista pulls off a great performance. If you thought Bautista couldn't get any more terrifying, then you've not seen him in a shirt and slacks! A refreshing look at myths and legend, which is both modern and well crafted. Is it an action packed gore fest...no. Does it have all the elements of a competent thriller...yes. It was brilliant that. The story is at the forefront rather than limbs being hacked off and gore for gore's sake. Kristen Cui pulls off a very believable character and was a real highlight alongside Bautista. See this one in the cinema!

The Whale (2022)

Great Movie

[8/10 · 9 February 2023]

The Whale has some fantastic surprises for the viewer. The juxtaposition of the characters, a slothful father and an energetic teenager is well played out. Brendan Fraser pulls off one of his deepest roles with true mastery and is wonderfully mirrored by the supporting actors. I would argue that The Whale isn't a movie to be watched repeatedly but without a doubt one to be watched at least once. Two hours flew by and the ending is emotional and very moving. Hong Chau and Sadie Sink are a great choice to support Fraser. Characters aren't split into good and evil but rather reflect true life with flaws and mistakes. Th facial expressions Fraser employs to portray his character are subtle but emotive.

Worth a watch👍

The Matrix Resurrections (I) (2021)

Do not watch this movie

[1/10 · 30 December 2021]

It is indisputable that Keanu Reeves is a fantastic actor with an illustrious career. Unfortunately this movie is a massive fail. It feels like the supporting cast was ordered straight from Wish. A truly terrible movie on so many levels. A confused mess that is a stain on this otherwise fantastic franchise. I've never wanted a movie to end so badly.

Do yourself and your wallet a favour and skip this film.

The Necromancer (2018)

Worst Film Ever!!!

[1/10 · 23 November 2021]

I beg you...please do not watch this film. It's filmed on a potato, the script is brimming with cliches and the acting is terrible. If I had the money, I would buy up every copy and dump the lot in a landfill. Avoid at all costs.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)

Awful movie

[2/10 · 29 May 2019]

No plot, awful lighting, awful dialogue, boring to watch. Godzilla looks like he'd be comfortable in a string vest and carrying around a six pack of beer! Who stole his neck? Apart from a version of Godzilla who wouldn't be out of place ordering in a queue for a fast food restaurant and a diet drink(gotta watch that figure), I actually think the guy in charge of lighting the movie died! There is none. It's dark. Not atmospheric. Just non-existent! For the love of god do not waste your time on this movie!

Hellboy (2019)

Awful re-boot!

[1/10 · 2 May 2019]

I loved the first two Hellboy movies. Ron Pearlman was fantastic with an amazing supporting cast. I have no idea why it was felt this franchise needed a re-boot. Sloppy script with unnecessary swearing and weak supporting actors to David Harbour. The effects were good but not required for this film. Hellboy started life as a fun and exciting franchise which didn't feel the need for needless gore and guts. The new version of Hellboy looks like he's had a stroke with the lips of Herman Munster. Ian McShane, a legend also fails miserably in this film. A total bore fest which does not grow on the audience. All we can hope for is this new franchise dies quietly without any sequels so that it can be forgotten about.

Alien: Covenant (2017)

Awful movie. Where is the atmosphere?

[2/10 · 22 May 2017]

Let me start by saying Michael Fassbender is a fantastic actor. Alas his valiant effort to save this dire movie by himself failed miserably. The overall issue with Alien Covenant is that is does not capture the fantastic atmosphere of the older Alien movies. Like Promethious, the pace is slow and painful to watch. The nods to the older movie are clumsy and predictable. The crew who face the dreaded beast are a bunch of ill trained buffoons who quite frankly I didn't care about when they got killed off. In fact they are so dislikeable, it's actually enjoyable when they meet their grisly ends.

The audience is shown that some kind of Alien are spread by pollen or dust by some little pods. Really??? That's the best you can come up with??? It just made no sense. Dallas has become Tennessee...really original guys! A colony ship with only one rover? It was just all so cliché and uninteresting. The whole farce left the audience in my local cinema holding their heads in their hands.

Another saving grace apart from Fassbender was that the cinematography was exquisite. Some great angles and beautiful scenery.

Too little and not nearly enough to make it watchable. My tip skip this insult to the Aliens franchise and watch Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2. Now that's a great movie with a fantastic soundtrack.

Sing (2016)

Fantastic movie...add it to your list!!!

[9/10 · 29 January 2017]

Zootropolis was a little dull and I avoided animated titles for a while. I didn't hold up much hope that Sing would be anything other than a hyped up title which offers a sedate movie experience. I was wrong and I am pleasantly surprised at how good Sing actually is. The soundtrack is phenomenal and the characters are very well put together. The main character of Moon is just right, balancing raw ambition with generally being a nice guy. The bears were brilliant but the best part of the movie is at the end when the characters perform their chosen songs. It was witty, funny and filled with real "buzz" moments. The rendition of Rocket Man was superb. Take your kids to see this one on the big screen. You'll be just as drawn into this great movie as they are.

Arrival (II) (2016)

Awful movie

[1/10 · 11 November 2016]

Here is the first spoiler, you will never get back the time you waste by watching this movie. The story line is based on a linguistics professor being recruited to communicate with, ahhh well...squid...over sized face huggers...who knows and even more importantly who really cares? The creature design is uninteresting and done to death. The ships the squid arrive in are...can you guess it? If you were thinking giant pebble...you are absolutely right. If not and were expecting inspired ships designs...sorry...nil points. The film tries to be cleaver by lots and lots of random cut scenes combined with a weak story line and characters which fails to connect with the audience. The language used by the aliens in my opinion would take years to decode and the antagonist of the movie manages to crack a written language based on circles in mere months. There is a real lack of explanation as to the motives of some of secondary characters, as a rouge team of military personnel attempt to blow up one of the 12 giant pebbles. Why? Surely they can't expect us to believe that a YouTube clip motivated them to possibly doom all of humanity? The movie is boring. You can feel every minute slowly tick by. As your brain is assaulted by a million random cut scenes of babies, people passing away and other mundane rubbish, you wish you were in front of a freshly painted wall watching the paint dry.

That's not all! When you get to the actual stage that you wish that real aliens would just blast you with a ray gun to end the misery of watching Arrival...it ends. It's not a joyous occasion, I mean yes you are thankful the film has ended but it plummets even further into dire and mediocre pit of misery and despair. It is finally ascertained that the squid have a tool or gift for humanity. Upon the discovery that the squid will do us a favour and will return in a mere 3000 years to ask for our help in return. This is the best bit...oh sweet lord...the squid and their giant pebbles dissolve like fizzy tablets. They give us nothing...and to be honest most of us will be dead in 3000 years...so we'll worry about that when we get to it. The main protagonist is then seduced by a smooth talking scientist who breaks the ice by saying "Wanna make a baby?". You try that...please. Go up to a lady you fancy in a location of your choosing and blurt out the immortal words "Wanna make a baby?". She will either have you arrested or will destroy you were you stand. Either way I wouldn't consider it solid dating advice.

I would like to conclude by saying please listen to my mad ramblings and don't watch this movie. If like me, you enjoy Sci-Fi there are dozens of better films out there. Arrival is not original, the story line is weak, the monsters are dire and their ships are dreadful. I am a massive Forest Whittaker fan and the man is still a legend. Only two questions I would like to ask him...Why did you choose to be in arrival? & when is Blood Sports 2 going to be made?

The Nice Guys (2016)

Mediocre Movie

[6/10 · 3 June 2016]

The Nice Guys was a movie which showed great potential. Crowe and Gosling work well together even with a dire script. The plot was at best very mediocre and many of the gags were predictable. This was a terrible let down to the film. What also didn't help was that it wasn't the clearest in terms of story lines. I will never tire of watching Crowe beat someone up but alas a great movie it does not make! The main protagonist who was being sought was also dull and to be quite frank it was one of the better parts of the movie when she got shot. The Nice Guys also tries too hard and there are echoes of such great movies like Kick Ass and Boogie Nights, which are never really pulled off in this film.

It's not the worst movie you'll ever see but in my opinion I wouldn't rush to see it again.

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)

Weak plot...

[3/10 · 20 December 2015]

The Force Awakens is a good kids movie but it's not the redemption fans were waiting for. The story line is weak beyond belief. Abrahams has made a massive mistake with following up on a Solo-son story line to mirror Vader-Skywalker relationship. It will leave true Star Wars fans frowning with frustration. There are some nice little nods to the classic films which are overshadowed by a seriously weak script. The attempt at humour should of been avoided. Some moments were almost an homage to Benny Hill. My biggest gripe with the movie is that the characters representing the Darkside of the force seriously are poor in design, execution and presentation. The villain of the plot is no more than a hair dresser in a black leather outfit. Worst of all who is the that blue thing sitting on an oversized toilet? Where is the explanation??? Guys have we heard of a background story??? Fans will see the hairdresser facing off against our heroine Ray in a battle to the death. Ray doesn't need any training and takes out an apprentice of the Darkside without too much difficulty. How's this for a storyline...the Death Star was big but the Killer Death Star is BIGGER...yawn! Take tissues...it will have you in tears...tears of frustration!