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Reviews
Heart of Stone (2023)
So sad.
I had REALLY high expectations for this movie. The preview looked pretty good. Should have realized that previews always show the best parts. It took about 15 minutes into the movie (i.e., just after the first action sequence) to see that there is way too much CGI and fake tech in this movie to be even remotely believable. Dialog is flat, which is too bad since the actors all clearly give it their best.
Always love Gal Gadot. And other main cast mostly seem pretty accomplished. It's just the outrageousness of the plot that ruins it. This could have been a much simpler action movie and would have worked great. But too much is, well, too much.
Moonfall (2022)
Wow. Just wow.
Clearly all of the budget originally allocated to writers was redirected to CGI. The lack of scientific accuracy hurt my brain. And I'm willing to suspend belief for SciFi, but there's a certain point where you just can't any longer. So...very...bad.
Vanquish (2021)
Is it bad? Yes it is. But then there's that motorcycle.
So clearly a 1-star movie. But I was intrigued by the motorcycle Ruby Rose was using: an electric motorcycle? First time I've seen one in a film, so the bike was interesting (hence 2 stars). The rest - oh so very painful to watch.
American Night (2021)
Words can't describe this movie.
I initially thought that this was a hot mess of a movie. But "hot mess" implies that you still want to see how bad it is. This is so much worse than that - Incoherent writing, dialed in performances. Wish there was a plot to at least follow, but sadly none.
Hard Kill (2020)
Did Bruce Willis Lose a Bet?
10 minutes in and I knew this was a mistake to watch. Writing is formulaic. Most of the acting is pretty wooden, though Bruce Willis did seem to genuinely smile early on (don't see that too often in his films). Some of the actors with small we roles actually do seem to put their hearts into the film - hence 2 stars. Even as a big Bruce Willis fan I struggled to watch this.
I See You (2019)
Wow!
It is not often that I go into a movie were I expect very little and am shockingly and pleasantly surprised. This was one such movie. IMDB describes this as Crime, Drama, Horror, Mystery, and Thriller. If this movie stuck to any one of these, it would have been a well-acted, but so-so film. But the twists and turns moving from one genre to the next when you don't expect it was amazing. I feel like I have to watch it again to see how everything meshes together and what clues I missed along the way. This was not a so-so movie, but rather brilliant! Great writing! One of the best plots I've seen in a while. Absolutely watch this movie if you like to be misdirected!
Black Water (2018)
Wow. Where to Start?
It's clear that JCVD and DL are past their prime. That said, at least Dolph looks like he's having fun making this moving and not taking himself too seriously (he gets 1 of my rating stars for that). Plot is paper thin, at best. Bad guys are cardboard cutouts. The women are WAY too young to be the love interests of these guys - more like daughters (who can't act). JCVD has all the acting range of ... well, JCVD.
Most amazing are the sets. Most of this movie takes place on what has to be the biggest, cheapest sub in the world. Aren't submarines like long tubes? You wouldn't know it here with all the extra-wide hallways running into each other at 90 degrees angles. More like an office building without windows. And the control room? I have more monitors and electronics in my home office. The control room looks more like an empty walk-in closet. I will say it's pretty impressive that an entire sub can be monitored and controlled by a crew of 4-5 guys, period.
No need to point out the shooting ability of the bad guys - other reviews have already covered that. How tough are the bad guy when they DELIBERATELY use rubber bullets? But, I will say it's always neat to see machine guns with silencers (the other rating star - sorry JCVD, none for you).
Stratton (2017)
Actually Pretty Good
Great action movie - no, but a good one, after which I didn't feel as if I wasted my time. This movie reminds me a lot of a compressed season of "24", with Dominic Cooper's character analogous to Jack Bauer. Action was good, a couple of plot twists, casting was actually very good.
Bad guy was very good - not an over-the-top characterization, but something more believable.
The movie did play like a made-for-TV show, but not in a bad way. Less budget and special effects than a theatrical release, but still quite good. I'd watch it again.
If you like "24", you'll like this.
Schitt$ Creek (2015)
Short and Sweet Review
Good God this is a funny show. When Eugene Levy plays the straight man it can't help but be great. Perfect cast!
The Beyond (2017)
An Odd Little Film
No Spoilers.
Interesting film. As others have noted, the special effects here are off the chart - very impressive. Has the look of a really big-budget film - the film itself is presented in the look of a documentary - Actors all come across as real people, many of whom are not comfortable being in front of the camera. Bad acting? Not really, instead rather presented as real people might react when suddenly thrust in front of a camera..
However, given the plot focus - possible contact from outer space, I would think EVERYONE would exhibit feelings of tremendous excitement, wonder, fear, etc. And that's all missing. Various narrators all speak as if this was a recap years later - kind of like a special on a cable channel in the high 3-digits. You get the feeling from most of the characters that this is just another day at the office.
Some of the plot is a little too science fantasy-ish rather than science fact, even though the film tries very hard to look very much like science fact.
Some surprises during the film that felt pretty authentic.
Score:
- Visuals and Special Effects - 10
- Acting - 5
- Plot - 5
- Overall - 6
Manhunt (2017)
Absolutely Riveting
No Spoilers (Though We All Know Already How It Actually Ends)
It's fascinating to see how this case really highlighted thinking about the evidence as opposed to standard police procedurals. I had heard someone say that they started watching this and got so hooked that they binge-watched the entire mini-series. Is that ever the case! This plays out like one long, intense movie, and doesn't look the part of a TV series at all.
Acting by all the major players is top-notch. Especially impressive is Sam Worthington's performance. Agree with another reviewer that some of these performances would have been Oscar®-worthy had this been a movie rather than a TV series.
If you liked "Zodiac" (2017, Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo), you'll like this - they feel very similar in terms of intelligent screenplays, solid performances, suspense despite knowing the outcomes.
Highly recommend "Manhunt: Unabomber".
Blood Money (2017)
Much Better Than Expected
No spoilers. I was not expecting much from this film, but I like John Cusack (see his movie "The Contract" as an example of a very good sleeper), so I took a chance. At least one other review captured this movie well - all players have good and bad sides, each opportunistic, but each not without some (?) redeeming values.
Simple plot - money corrupts. But the extent to which it does so and the lengths to which each player is willing to go to claim the money is what drove this story. To some extent a psychological thriller, if not a little predictable. Some surprises, which I found not unrealistic, and actually explainable, which kept this movie more believable.
Have I seen better flicks? Sure. But after watching I did not feel that it was a waste of time - definitely had some nice plot twists that kept my interest.
Drive Thru History (2005)
Surprisingly Entertaining and Educational
When I first saw that this series was produced by Focus on the Family, I was concerned that its content might tend toward pushing conservative values. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but for something labeled as educational I wanted it to not politicize either conservative OR liberal views. What a surprise! Yes, there is religion discussed in this series, but in a historical and meaningful context, without pushing ANY agendas. The content was absolutely entertaining, educational, and engaging. The host, David Stotts, is excellent, and appeals to multiple generations of viewers. As you probably can tell, I'm liberal, and don't necessarily want Christian content packaged as entertainment pushed on me. This was anything but that. Would highly recommend any of the "Drive Thru History" series for anyone interested in some entertainment, and, whether you want it or not, some solid education!
Whiteout (2009)
What a Surprise - Better Than the Sum of Its Parts
I had never heard of this movie before I saw it in the video store. But Kate Beckinsale is a good actress and easy on the eyes, and it had Tom Skerritt in it, too (and even when he dials it in, he's pretty good), so on a whim I thought I'd check it out.
This turned out to be one of those rare movies that utterly and pleasantly surprised me.
Script: OK to pretty good. Acting: Pretty good. Cast: Actually very good. Plot: Very good to great. Action: Better than expected.
So, any one of these might mean "meh" for a movie. But in combination, it all worked REALLY well. I think one of the things that really hooked me was that I didn't know "who dun it" until the end - not a twist or surprise ending, but a really good procedural story.
Watch with an open mind and you'll enjoy this movie.
Once Upon a Time in Venice (2017)
Better than I thought and a fun movie
Like many, I've been a Bruce Willis fan since "Die Hard." And I agree that some of his recent movies have not been as satisfying as I'd like. So that may have led me to some lower expectations with "Once Upon a Time in Venice." But, it's Bruce Willis (and John Goodman, and Jason Momoa, and Thomas Middleditch, and the list goes on), so what the heck.
I found myself actually laughing at the dialog and acting (in a good way). The irreverent Bruce Willis attitude was here in full, and EVERYONE else was that way, too, which is one of the things that made this movie really fun. Yes, the action sequences were kind of light, but they fit it perfectly with the tone of the movie.
If you want a fun Bruce Willis movie, this one is it. Loved it!
Serenity (2005)
Review of Just One Character
NO SPOILERS
There have been LOTS of reviews of Serenity, and rather than sing the same praises as others, I want to single out one performance that is indicative of how this film reached far above the lofty bar to which it would be held.
Like Kevin Spacey's John Doe in "Se7en" and Javier Bardem's Anton Chigurh in "No Country for Old Men", Chiwetel Ejiofor's Operative was an incredibly complex, multi-dimensional, and truly terrifying villain. Rarely does one see a characterization as chilling as his (like Doe and Chigurh). And that, in and of itself, would make for a spectacular role. But Mr. Ejiofor actually brought a level of humanity and sympathy to a character that would otherwise seem irredeemable. His performance was stellar. An incredible takeaway from a film full of moments that all exceeded expectations and performances that shined! As others may have recommended, watch the entire "Firefly" series first to get the full background for the story. Then settle back for an amazing final act with "Serenity".