Fbh91 Reviews

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

What happened?

[2/10 · 29 December 2020]

The first Wonder Woman movie was surprising in a positive way, as it managed to stand out as an enjoyable movie in an otherwise underwhelming DCU.

So it's all the more surprising just how bad this one turned out. Almost every aspect of the movie is terrible. The writing is bad and often awkward, the tone seems to be going for some weird 80's camp/cheese which doesn't fit the tone set by the original movie (or the DCU in general), the pacing is slow due to a stretched out run time and the few action sequences are instantly off putting due to distractingly poor visual effects.

Even the soundtrack, composed by Hans Zimmer, feels wasted as he takes a more traditional superhero approach that doesn't fit the awkward campy style of what you are seeing on screen.

Black Mirror: Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too (2019) Season 5, Episode 3

Someone got a Disney Channel/Nick movie mixed in with my Black Mirror Season

[1/10 · 10 July 2019]

What was this? What was it doing in a season of Black Mirror? Who thought this would fit or be a good idea?

If you to take out the Swearing this could easily be sold as some sort of Disney Channel or Nick direct to video movie. It has all the elements you are looking for

• Some silly humor
• The teen pop star whose life isn't as easy as you think and has an evil manager
• The new girl in school struggling to find friends
• The happy ending
• A "believe in yourself" message

And overall a story about 2 teen girls fighting some bad guy with silly tactics and lighthearted tone.

Ultraman (2019–2023)

Not Worth watching

[3/10 · 11 April 2019]

Despite a promising start and some well choreographed fight scenes, the show is held back by ugly and dated looking CGI as well as much of its focus being put on a pair of uninteresting and quite frankly unlikeable characters while the more interesting side cast often feels wasted

The Dragon Prince (2018– )

Fun premise let down by slow pace and bad animation

[6/10 · 2 October 2018]

My first time hearing about this show it didn't really capture my attention, but upon finding out that it's co-created by the lead writer behind Avatar: The Last Airbender I decided it was worth checking out.

Those expecting a more creative and unique world and setup like the one from The Last Airbender will be disappointed by a fairly standard and derivative fantasy world with knights, mages, elves, dragons and all the elements we have come to expect of such a world. With that said, the core cast of characters is likeable and have a fun team dynamic. There's some side characters that I hope we get to see more of in future seasons. One aspect I really liked is how the villains are handled. The show doesn't take long to introduce it's main antagonist but both his actions and the way he behaves show us a character with deeper motivations than just being evil for the sake of it (as is often the case with shows aimed at younger audiences).

The main story itself is just a generic as the world it takes place in though there's definitely potential to take it into fun or interesting directions moving forward. Strangely though, the show suffers from some serious pacing issues and despite only having 9 episodes so far it's hard not to feel like not much happens in a lot of them. The slower pacing could have been used to both develop their character or get a deeper dive into their backstories but instead it feels like a lot of time is spent overcoming filler obstacles in uninteresting ways.

Finally, the production values and animation are extremely lacking. This show uses a type of 3D animation but a lot of the assets are very basic looking and the animation itself seems to have been done with an extremely low number of frames. It just feels like this show only got a tiny fraction of what other Netflix animations like Trollhunters or Voltron got. At least the Voice cast is great and the soundtrack does it's job even though it's not particularly memorable.

With all that said, there's definitely potential here for good show and anyone who enjoyed The Last Airbender is probably going to be able to find some enjoyment in this. The core cast is solid and the story seems to indicate that the characters will be visiting more interesting locations in the future. Hopefully though, this gets enough views for Netflix to considerably increase the budget for next season

The Lost Room (2006)

Feel incomplete

[6/10 · 23 January 2014]

This review has heavy spoilers for the whole story. Do not read if you haven't seen the whole show.

I really liked the original concept behind this show. A room where "something happened" that created objects with different supernatural uses was great and for the most part I liked how the story was told, with the main character wanting to get his daughter back and the whole factions and groups that formed around the objects.

But sadly it ended up being yet another example of writers that came up with a great idea but had no idea how to end it and how to give a logical answer to all the interesting mysteries they came up with. By the end most of it doesn't make sense anymore and the answer to most of the big mysteries ends up being "because the writers say so".

One of the biggest mysteries of the whole show is what happened in the room, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who was intrigued with this and was expecting an answer. And when the times came for the big reveal the dialog went something like:

"Did you create the objects? What happened in this room?" "No I didn't create them. It just happened".

Turns out the writers had no idea how to finish their own story so they just went with "it just happened". And that's far from being the only question left unanswered, by the final chapter there are a ton of events that are never really explained. - Why would recreating the experiments of the collectors revive people? - What was the logic behind the daughter of the main character being trapped in "one of many rooms? - How did the main character recover his daughter by becoming an object? - ETC

A part of me feels this show was left unfinished. A lot of the events from the final episode pointed towards a second seasons that never got released

Video Game High School (2012–2014)

Webseries that feels like it's from gamers for gamers

[9/10 · 18 January 2014]

I've been a gamer for a long time and just recently found out about this show from a friend and while I didn't have much faith I ended up enjoying this much more than I expected.

For starters the production values are actually really good. Let's not forget that this is a web series that can be seen for free on youtube yet in some areas it feels like it has the same production values as most comedies from big TV corporations. The action scenes in particular are really well made, which isn't surprising considering Freddie Wong is in the production team (people who know his youtube videos should know what to expect). I know a lot of people that are always skeptical about web shows so if you are one of them be assured that this feels like an actual show and not some kids with a camera shooting something in their house. Most of the actors are decent, you won't see any award winning performances here but they seem to be on par with most "sitcoms".

The humor is rather unique. Personally I like it but I can see how other people might not. A lot of the jokes rely on the "so bad it's good" formula because of how over the top, stupid or just random they can be, so if you are looking for a comedy where the humor is based on truly clever writing this might not be for you. But as long as you don't take it that seriously it's actually fun (IMO). That's not to say that all jokes are bad, there are constant nods and cameos from the gaming world, some of them really clever which leads me to the biggest reason I enjoy VGH: It feels like it was made from gamers for gamers. Be it some of the gags/jokes, situations, cameos, hints or plot points, you can simply tell this show was made by people that actually enjoy videogames. And that's something that I can really appreciate, specially in a medium where everything gaming (or geeky) related is mostly shown using the most generic of stereotypes (big bang theory would be a good example)

The Mentalist: Red John (2013) Season 6, Episode 8

I truly hope there is more to this

[2/10 · 27 November 2013]

After so many years following the show, after so many theories I've read and casual discussions I've had with my friends and family about who might be Red John I truly hope that there is more to it than what we saw in this episode. I hope it was all just another Red John set up or something because this was truly disappointing.

I mean come on, the final showdown between Jane and Red John consists of some crazy plan about having bread in one pocket and a pigeon in the other?. One of the biggest criminal masterminds in the country, the guy who seemed to be untouchable, the guy who for 10 years was always a step ahead of Jane, the guy who almost looked like he had true "mentalist" powers was not defeated by some clever plan but rather by a pigeon and a gun taped to a chair? And that's just the tip of the iceberg of what was wrong with this episode.

Let's ignore some of the plot holes and just focus on how out of character it would be for McAllister, specially as he is shown in this episode, to be RJ. I just can't believe this cold, calculating mastermind would beg for his life, call 911 and be unable to foresee something as obvious as the fact that Jane probably had a plan (not even a good plan at that). Red John wasn't just a clever criminal, he was supposed to be a brilliant mind. He could manipulate people not by making them fear him but rather by making them believe in him so much that they would do anything for him.

I saw nothing of that character in this episode, I saw nothing of what the last 5 seasons have shown us about RJ. Hell, the "Fake" RJ that Jane killed a few seasons ago would have been a better fit than McAllister.

What gives me hope is that we still have about half a season to go... and I can't imagine they would resolve the whole red john case in some random episode in the middle (it's not even a mid-season finale)

Now You See Me (I) (2013)

Fun as a time killer but nothing more

[6/10 · 18 September 2013]

Now you see me is what I would call a "sunday evening" movie. It's fun and flashy enough to be entertained for a few hours but lacks more substance to be memorable. It's the kind of movie you can have fun with for 2 hours and then forget the next day.

With a cast of well known actors and a plot about a group of people pulling off what seem like spectacular robberies it's clearly that it is aiming to be a "Oceans Eleven" kind of movie, but it dosen't quite get there.

My main problem with this movie is that the basic idea here is that "you think it is magic but it actually isn't", and that would have great if they would have shown them use clever and creative tricks to fool people. But ,sadly, more often than not we see the main characters use tricks that seem too fantastic to be true, and it dosen't help that most of them are done using CG animations and special effects. All the magic they use is just taken too far to be believed, not only in the illusions but also the fact that one character seems to have super human hypnosis abilities and others can pull off crazy tricks with no preparation.

Movies like Oceans Eleven are more enjoyable because even though you know robbing a casino is hardly as easy as they make it look... almost all of what they do has some form of rational explanation backing it up. I don't know if you can Robb a casino making the stuff they do, but I do know that at very least that stuff can be done, and that just isn't the case with "now you see me" as only a handful of tricks are explained and the writers want the audience to just believe that all the CG/FX tricks going on have a rational explanation.

If you take what I've already said into consideration and add the fact that there is little to no character development (we hardly get to know them)and a "shocking" ending that feels so forced that no one will be "shocked"... it's easy to see why this movie is nothing more than a fun and flashy flick to watch and forget the next morning.

I have been told that there will be sequel, and hopefully they manage to make a movie that is as clever as what they think this one was

World War Z (2013)

A flawed but fun Zombie Action movie

[6/10 · 9 July 2013]

I saw several negative reviews regarding this movie, yet in the end I still had fun watching it.

For starters, just forget about the name because it has little to no relation with the book. And in second place, you should approach this as an action movie rather than a traditional "horror" or "suspense" zombie movie.

It is, for the most part, mindless action with some cool set pieces and decent special effects. The plot is rather generic (main character trying to find a cure) and there are several plot holes and unrealistic parts.

So yeah, I don't really feel like there is much else to say about the movie. If you are like me and you don't think that every movie out there should be about "character development" and a "deep/clever plot".... and you can enjoy a movie once in a while for just being a fun summer blockbuster with mindless action, then I don't see a reason why you shouldn't watch this

Man of Steel (2013)

Finally a good Superman Movie

[8/10 · 17 June 2013]

I had some doubts about this movie. Zack Synder is a sort of "hit or miss" director for me (Loved Watchmen but Sucker Punch and 300 where nothing special, IMO) and the early reviews and commentaries where not specially positive.

I went in with rather low expectations but by the end I really liked this take on Superman and this general take on superhero movies. The movie had a compelling story to tell, never trying to be specially "Deep" but giving us a new look into the origins of superman and giving great focus to both "Fathers" which defined the man he became. I think it was a rather good mix of story and action, a kind of mix that I would like to see more in superhero movies. The latest batman felt a bit too heavy on the story, giving a rather small amount of screen time to Batman himself (now, I do enjoy them wanting to tell a deeper story with the batman movies, but they can't forget that we are here to see a superhero movie), and the newer Marvel movies have almost felt like comedies with action scenes (Iron Man 3 was basically a series of jokes and funny situations in between action scenes). So it was nice to see Man of Steel keep the serious tone without giving up on the action and over the top fighting.

And as we talk about the action, it was really well done. With good use of special effects and a lot of amazing looking scenes.

Henry Cavill works well as Clark giving a solid performance but I didn't quite like Michael Shannon's take on ZOD.

The Mentalist (2008–2015)

Starting to get boring

[5/10 · 21 May 2013]

The first few seasons of this show where really good.

It took the concept of a regular detective TV Show but with the twist of an interesting character who used observation and psychology to solve cases. What is more, it had an interesting main plot surrounding "Red John", the enigmatic killer who murdered the daughter and wife of the main character.

But, sadly, we are already 5 seasons into the show and the whole main plot is starting to get tedious and monotonous rather than interesting. The show follows a very generic formula a few times each season of introducing a new character that has clear information about Red John only to later somehow kill him (either by one of the main characters or by Red John himself) before he can tell the audience any new or relevant information. The same trick has been used in several mid seasons and full season finales, and personally I'm starting to loose interest in the whole story.

I tend to watch several "detective", "investigation" shows such as criminal minds, castle, white collar, etc. The way the writers of those shows keep it interesting is by introducing a new main story ever 1-2 seasons. Sadly, the people making the Mentalist seem to be so afraid of finishing (or advancing) the main plot that it is starting to feel really stretched out

Iron Man Three (2013)

Entertaining, but in the end a bit disappointing

[2/10 · 25 April 2013]

Spoilers ahead.

As someone who liked both previous Iron Man Movies (along with most recent marvel movies) I was quite excited about Iron Man 3. After seeing it... well it's a fun movie, I laughed and I was entertained the whole time, but in the end I couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.

The trailers made it look like a more serious take on Iron Man. Now, of course from previous Iron Man Movies (and The Avengers) I was expecting there to be humour but I think they went a bit overboard with it here. This is supposed to be Iron Man facing his main enemy, his biggest trial so far... but the story simply cannot be taken seriously when the director and writers had the need to constantly put in comedic elements. Be it the true nature of the Mandarin or the final fight just after Tony Stark thinks the love of his life died in front of him, it seems the story cannot be serious for more than 5 min without having to put in some joke. Even the big reveal/twist (the fact that "The Mandarin" was just an actor)was used as a comedic factor. And the post credits scene that I was expecting to start hyping for the avengers 2? Nope, also a comedic scene.

The action was good with great special effects, there where even some cool Tony Stark-not quite iron man yet action scenes. If there is one scene I didn't like was the end to the "final battle", the whole super pepper thing felt over the top in a "1997 batman and robin" kind of way. Same could be said about the "grab hand while we fall" scene

As I said, it's still a fun movie. I'd still recommend it for someone who just wants to go to the movies, have some laughs and see some good looking action. But from the trailers, from what was said and from previous movies I was expecting it to be the "bigger and better" Iron Man movie, so I couldn't help but feel disappointed in the end.

Sword of the Stranger (2007)

Cliché concept, yet a Must see animated movie

[10/10 · 13 October 2012]

The concept in Sword of the Stranger isn't new. A wandering samurai who killed a lot of people during the war is tormented by his past and has "Sealed" his sword and decided not to use it anymore. Without having to look far you can already find earlier animes/mangas with the exact same concept (Rurouni Kenshin is the first that comes to mind).

Still I really loved this movie and consider it a must watch, specially for people that like animated movies. The animation one of the best I've seen in recent animated movies, with great design, fluid animations and great image quality. While not many in number, the battles are masterfully handled by BONES (animation studio) with great (animated) choreography.

As I've said the concept behind the story isn't new but it's enjoyable nonetheless, I really liked the trust relationship that forms between the main character and the boy he is escorting and there is also a special connection between Nanashi and the main antagonist. In the end you will be caring for the characters.

Finally, and it should not be overlooked. The Soundtrack for this movie is truly wonderful. Composed by Naoki Sato, it's an amazing OST filled with emotion and fits the movie like ring.

That's My Boy (2012)

Comedy hits a new low this year

[1/10 · 13 October 2012]

To start I have to say that while I've never been a big Adam Sandler Fan, I do find him to have some fun/enjoyable movies so I was expecting this to be an average/enjoyable movie to see a Sunday evening. Sadly I was wrong.

This movie fails in every aspect/angle you can imagine. The acting would be bad even if this was some low budget amateur movie, specially Adam Sandler who makes a voice for his character that sounds as fake as it gets. The Humor is the very cheapest you can expect from a Comedy and is entirely composed of lame sex jokes that will hardly be funny to anyone past the age of 15. While I enjoy clever humor I also enjoy silly comedies once in a while (had a good time watching TED) but that isn't the case here because there is hardly anything here that could be called comedy.

I would recommend you don't waste your time with "That's my boy". It's by far the worst movie I've seen this year and doesen't even qualify for the "So bad it's fun" category.

Battle Royale (2000)

Not as good as the Book

[6/10 · 8 July 2012]

This movie was recommended to me some time ago by a friend. So I decided to check out what it was all about and found out it's based on a Book. I always like to read/see the source material first so I bought the book over amazon and I have to say I loved it. It was a good story, with great characters and great writing that gave a lot of psychological insight on the characters.

Based on how popular and loved this movie is, I was expecting it to be a great adaptation but after watching it, I can't help but feel a bit disappointed with it all. They take the concept, some characters and some major events from the book but there are A LOT of changes and, IMO, most of them didn't do the story any favor. It all feels a bit underdeveloped and the acting wasn't very strong either. There are also several changes in the motivation of some characters and the whole concept of battle royale shifts from an oppressive government to some sort of "adult vs kids" thing which, despite the fact that I'm aware of the problems japan has with the youth, doesen't make a whole lot of sense-

Anyway, not a bad movie. But I'd recommend you read the book which in my opinion is far superior

Another Earth (2011)

Could have been more

[7/10 · 1 March 2012]

When I heard the concept of this movie, another earth that suddenly appears, I was inmediatly interested. The concept seemed good and could give place to a great story without the need of great special effects or anything, just a great script. Sadly, the movie tells a story that has been done many times before. It's predictable and the whole concept of "earth 2" is wasted in transforming this movie from "something you have seen many times before" to "something you have seen many times before... with a twist". Not to say that it is a bad movie, but I just felt that the whole Earth 2 concept was wasted on it, it felt more like and add-on than an important central plot for the story.

Touch (2012–2013)

Surprised

[9/10 · 29 January 2012]

I wasn't expecting much from this show but I have to say that the pilot episode was a big, pleasant surprise. The concept of predicting the future isn't new but I found it pleasant to be applied in a different way than "save the world", the acting was quite good (though it takes some time to get used at the fact that the man you see on screen is not Jack Bauer) and at least this first episode had great production values showing location all over the world and making them feel quite real (and spoken in their original language). As far as the "connected stories" go I think they where well done and managed the same emotional impact in 45 movies as movies that take 2 hours to have the same effect.

I think it's too soon to call this show a success. The first episode was fantastic but I'm not sure if they will be able to maintain the same quality and engagement during the whole season. I would like this to turn into a big story rather than the "weekly connected story adventure". Still, you should at least watch this episode, even if the show doesn't manage to maintain it's quality this first episode is good enough to be recommended on its own

In Time (2011)

There are better movies to spend your time

[6/10 · 26 January 2012]

I saw the trailer for this movie and found the concept to be quite original and interesting. A world where time is money and if your clock reaches zero you die, a world where rich people live forever and the poor struggle to survive.

After seeing the score here I though It probably was one of those generic action movies that have a nice concept, kind of like The Island but maybe a bit better. Sadly the movie falls short in almost every way expect for its original concept. The acting is average at most, the script is bad, the is no character development and the story is boring, predictable and lack any sort of back story to help us understand, there is really no explanation as to why this "money=time" was implement or where it came from. I also felt that most of the time there wasn't anything relevant going on.

In the end, this sadly another case of a good idea ruined by a bad bad execution. To stay honest the movie has some entertaining part and it wasn't until near the end that I started to get bored, as a somewhat entertaining time killer movie it's not so bad