mjmegelsh Reviews

Desierto (2015)

Beautifully shot...but that is all

[2/10 · 15 October 2016]

"Desierto" boasts actors that clearly have talent, the actual production of the film is decent as is the cinematography of the beautifully brutal desert. However, this film is poorly directed, predictable and shallow, and the premise is laughable--An American picks off illegal immigrants crossing off the boarder.

This film beats the audience over the head with its narrative, it tries to ignore the actual legality of illegally crossing the boarder by making the viewer feel "bad" for those doing so. Furthermore, the villain is like a caricature. Jeffrey Dean Morgan's character is a stereotype. Repugnant as it is, the white man is a racist villain merely because who else would be? What is even worse, is that besides being blatant in its political motives it ambiguously paints the portrait that anyone who is opposed to illegal aliens entering an autonomous nation is akin to the racist murderer that is not even that scary but is intimidating because he is the only fool with a firearm.

In short, this movie is the most horrific film in its presentation or direction, but it is profoundly shallow while also being a film that tries to preach without preaching. Nothing is more pretentious. It is not thought provoking or provocative. A balanced film, say depicting the trials of immigrants, the oppression and violence of cartels partnered with the struggles of boarder patrol agents and the American citizens at risk along the border could have been a strong, well-rounded film that heralds the human spirit and justice over lawlessness. However, this film does not do that. It is shoddy in script, narrative, and message.

Open Range (2003)

The best western in the past 20 years

[8/10 · 15 October 2016]

I know this is not a film that many people demand the public's opinion on, however, I am writing this review to describe how perfectly directed this film is and how it captures the spirit of what makes the Western genre one of the best in film.

Kevin Costner, directing and starring, does a superb job playing a free range cowboy who, along with his boss played by Robert Duvall, has to defend their friends and their herd of free-ranging cattle from a vicious rancher and the lawmen and gunslingers in his deep pockets.

This film has excellent dialogue and pacing. I would say that the acting is not perfect, it can be rough around the edges. Nevertheless, while just producing a very brief review, Open Range is a must-see for a fan of the genre and a viewing experience one will not regret.

Genius (2016)

A solid one time watch. I truly wanted there to be more...there was not.

[5/10 · 14 October 2016]

Genius has a compelling story about the relationship of an editor and a gifted, yet troubled, writer set in the 1930s. This film boasts a strong cast, a cast recognizable enough but not featuring a batch of A-listers that are too frequently type cast. It also it a period piece, which I enjoy, that features the fashion, music, and history that makes these films enjoyable. The acting is decent, the story is average and the developing relationship between the editor Perkins and the writer Wolfe.

The problem with this movie is that it fails to show the human side of its characters and even though there is great personal involvement and great weight upon the characters' shoulders, you as the viewer do not feel their pain, stress, or angst. What emotion is reveled is not felt with the same poignant punch that others movies have on their audiences.

The movie is under two hours, but it feels like four. It has a good cast, but the acting is average at best. The story has compelling components but it lacks emotional draw. It is worth a one time watch, but a second watch is unnecessary.

Ice Age: Collision Course (2016)

Convoluted, cheesy, but there is just enough there for fans.

[4/10 · 26 August 2016]

This movie is a cash grab, of that there is little doubt. Blue Sky Studios knows that they have a recognizable franchise, and in and effort to build off of a base that is accustomed to familiar characters, they have produced the weakest Ice Age film yet.

The plot, while involving a litany of details and characters is quite simple. A meteor is plummeting towards earth and the characters must find a way to divert its trajectory. There is just enough for fans of the series to enjoy. Sid will still invoke a laugh because of his haplessness, there are some comical slapstick scenes, a good one- liner or two, and Scrat's insanity is energetic and comical. Furthermore, the reintroduction of Simon Pegg's un- hinged, yet hilarious, Buck is fun (the Dawn of the Dinosaurs was the second best Ice Age in my opinion).

However, the plot, involving another trek, and the messages, while positive, are lacking the same heart and character of the past. The dichotomy between the original and this film is staggering. The animation is great, but the amount of characters this franchise now has, the array of plot devices, and the extremes that drive the narrative have weakened it to the point that this must be the last movie or else all self-respect for this franchise is utterly gone.

Kids will love it, older kids and even adults that have enjoyed the adventures of these characters will find some scenes that are reminiscent of earlier movies. Yet, this film is mediocre at best and if someone never cared for Ice Age this movie will by no means make their opinion change.

Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016)

Avoid crying bigot or misogynist, people...It is just a shoddy film.

[2/10 · 17 July 2016]

This movie has garnered a great deal of criticism as well as a defense from those who argue it is best to wait and see what the movie is before solely judging the quality based off of theatrical trailers. That is a fair statement, let us wait and see. However, this move is poorly acted, adds nothing new to the series, and relies heavily on jokes centered around the ineptitude and idiocy of men. In short, the maligned trailers aptly depicted the film.

Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy are very talented and Leslie Jones has gifts as well, but each character was annoying and Kate McKinnon headlined the group. This movie is not funny, it is not creative, and it feels like a SJW's fan fiction on a blog post.

I like the original film, but I do not adore it like others and it does not offer any nostalgia. However, it was unique, creative and it had four good actors who had strong chemistry. This film does nothing new, nothing creative, and the reasons behind making this film are quite clear. Even if the film featured four men as the leads I would still say it was a bad movie, the feminist aspect just makes it more unbearable.

This is not the worst film of all time, but it is abundantly clear based off of the fact that toys for this movie are already on the clearance rack and movie-goers are tweeting pictures of empty showings, that this film is not good and the public knows it. People who stereotype critics of this film as being sexist or anything derogatory for that matter is wrong. This film is poorly put together, presented and lacks the qualities that made people revere the original.

The Duel (I) (2016)

An ambitious but flawed film that is average at best.

[4/10 · 3 July 2016]

Regrettably, the great genre of film that is the Western struggles mightily in our present time. Most Westerns are now low-budget, like The Duel, but that does not mean that it should be written off (I was pleasantly surprised that the recent release Forsaken was a decent Western). There are some positives in this film, yet negatives are rampant and I will note the primary ones.

This film features a decent cast and an interesting story which involves an investigation surrounding missing people and an occult leader that has come to control the hearts and minds of the people of a small Texas town. However, besides a respectable performance by Liam Hemsworth, the cast is mediocre and forgettable with Woody Harrleson topping the list as being a cliché villain with forgettable, pretentious faux-intellectual dialogue.

The action is average at best, and above all else there is a feeling that the writers or producers wanted to inject their opinion regarding the current treatment of Mexicans (something a reviewer on Roger Ebert's website noted) into a script already bogged down with murder, missing persons, revenge, a husband-wife relationship, a mysterious town, and a religious occult leader. It is subtle. However, it seemed out of place and unnecessary but that does not stop Hollywood from forcing a narrative or agenda into a movie, does it?

Overall, this is a movie that had promise, but sub-par acting and a feeling that it did not know which plot point should receive the most attention weakened the film as a whole. If you like Westerns, you may find it more alluring because of the genre. Nevertheless, it is a one time watch that struggles and does not contribute anything of great worth.

London Has Fallen (2016)

Mindless Action Film...But Not As Jingoistic As Some Contend

[5/10 · 18 March 2016]

This movie is a money grab put forth by Hollywood which is habitually making movies to reap an easy bundle of cash from a public that races to the theaters to see average to sub-par movies. This film is not as good as its predecessor. It is over the top, it is mindless. However, this is worth the one time watch and Gerard Butler is very good in this role as the dedicate hero.

Is this movie proud of the red, white, and blue? Yes. Can it seem a little much? Yes. However, it is not nearly the type of film being described by a good number of reviewers on this site. Anything patriotic is labeled as being jingoistic. A scene that shows Gerard Butler taking out foreign terrorists and the fact that they are Arab, and presumably Muslim, makes the film xenophobic or racist. While this film is different from "Olympus Has Fallen," I am surprised people did not rail against that for overt patriotism and Americans taking down a foreign foe. Last I checked, the geopolitical climate surrounding Korea is palpable, and Islamic terrorism is a real and credible threat. Both films used those real dangers and applied them to their action, albeit average, film.

This is a one time watch film, if you go into it with the right mentality and know this is an average film at best that might provide some entertainment you will be fine. If you are disagree and want to rail against the "slights" made in this movie, that's fine. Ultimately, this movie is nothing special, nothing horrid, and nothing as "offensive" as some angry people would assert.