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Maestro (2023)
Still processing this one...
As a son of a gay father and a fan of Bernstein I thought it was interesting to see this side of his personal life. All the performances were excellent, Cooper's makeup and prosthetics were very convincing, but I didn't love the movie. Despite how beautifully crafted it is and I'm still trying to figure out why I'm not in love with the movie as a whole. I think it's partly because this movie is much more about his personality, celebrity status and relationships than his music and it's the music which I know and love. I'm sure there will be lots of reviews that will more thoroughly explain what might be wrong but I think it's worth watching.
Ahsoka (2023)
Looks slick but boring
Two episodes in and Ahsoka is clearly not nearly as good as Andor. Hopefully it will at least be better than Obi-Wan Kenobi. The visual effects and production design give the show a slick looking veneer but it is undeniable BORING! It's not just me, my wife agrees and she fell asleep during the second episode. So far we haven't been given any reason to care about any of the characters. There are some decent action scenes but most are diminished by silly decisions. I wouldn't recommend the show to anyone that values a good script, good directing and editing. If all you're looking for is light entertainment in the world of Star Wars then Ahsoka might be for you.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
Too long and sad
Liked seeing some of Rocket's backstory but they went back so many times it got too depressing and disturbing. Bringing back Gamora went nowhere and felt pointless. Groot is all grown up and no longer cute or funny. The High Evolutionary was so despicable I don't know why his minions didn't take him out sooner! Why was Nathan Fillion wasted on such a minor and pointless character? Action scenes are excellent but there are too many and they're so long it becomes a bit mind numbing. Vol. 3 felt at least a half hour too long and lacked the uniqueness and fun of the first two movies. Lastly the soundtrack felt forced and not as integral as the first movie.
The Invisible Man (2020)
6 Stars is generous
If I hadn't been sick with Covid I probably wouldn't have made it past the first half. I was too out of it to care how boring it was. Got a bit more interesting in the second half but not enough to warrant a better rating. Acting was okay but just about everything else about this movie was flawed. For a sci-fi movie the visual effects were sparse, mediocre and poorly planned. That wouldn't be a problem if you had a great script or story but neither exist. Felt like the entire movie was a set up for a "surprise" ending that was ultimately unsatisfying. The main titles being revealed by sea spray was clever so during a pivotal scene when the invisible man was being chased in the rain I figured he would be revealed by raindrops hitting him or footsteps splashing in puddles but that didn't happen. He was only revealed by the randomly glitching invisibility suit and the way it glitched didn't make sense. Different parts of the suit would become visible but become completely invisible again even though it was damaged. If one part of the suit was damaged wouldn't that part always be visible? There are just too many odd choices that distract sci-fi geeks like myself. If the movie had been more engaging or clever it would be easier to ignore small flaws.
The Menu (2022)
Ugh... why?
It's hard to understand how this movie was satisfying for anyone. Even though all the ingredients for a great dark comedy were there it just didn't gel. I was onboard with poking fun at celebrity chefs and foodies but it was the dark side of the comedy that didn't work. Most of the characters are shallow and unlikeable but I never felt they deserved to die. The fact that everyone except Anya Taylor-Joy's character accepts their fate without putting up much of a fight didn't make any sense. The way everyone dies in the climax is meant to be funny but felt completely unsatisfying, much like the cuisine created by the chef.
Succession (2018)
Thought it was a parody
After watching the first couple episodes I genuinely thought Succession was supposed to be a parody, somewhere between Arrested Development and Billions. I'm not sure it fits neatly in a single genre unless Dramedy counts. Anyway I did get sucked in but after three seasons it started to get a little boring. It reminds of when I got bored with Curb your Enthusiasm. I enjoyed the show for a while but after a couple seasons you know Larry David's reaction to a situation will always be exactly the opposite of what is socially acceptable. The novelty of that wears off. It's the same with the characters in Succession. They're all predictably horrible people and I wasn't rooting for anyone to succeed Logan Roy. Looks like things are about to get interesting in season four so I'll probably keep watching.
This Fool (2022)
I quit after the third episode
I thought this show might be unique and wanted to give it a chance to grow on me. Unfortunately with each episode my interest diminished. There are some mildly funny bits but it's populated with shallow and uninteresting caricatures. The last straw for me was the scene where a character gets kicked in the balls. I assume it was intended to be funny. It wasn't but they doubled down and another character gets kicked in the balls with exactly the same setup. Still not funny. Maybe preteens will be amused but I doubt that's the audience they're after. I guess if that's what does it for you keep watching but I'm done.
The Gray Man (2022)
Lots of chasing, shooting and fighting... yaaaaaawn
If absurdly long and elaborate chase scenes, gun battles and fight scenes are what you find entertaining then this movie might be for you, otherwise skip it. Ryan Gosling does pretty much what you would expect as the "good guy". Chris Evans plays a bad guy so horrible everyone was happy to see him meet his demise. For such a high budget movie it is unfortunately forgettable.
Respect (2021)
Hudson is great, movie is ho hum.
Not a great movie but worth watching for Jennifer Hudson's performance if you can stay awake and you really love Aretha Franklin. My wife and I agreed the best part of the whole movie was at the end when they showed the Aretha's actual performance at the Kennedy Center Honors. It was the only time either of us was brought to tears.
The Batman (2022)
Put me to sleep
Relentlessly dreary, plodding and boring. No chemistry between the bat and the cat. Wife says she liked it but we both fell asleep. Big fan of Giacchino but was very disappointed by his score for the Batman, didn't do it for me. Sorry Michael!
Pachinko (2022)
Worth watching
I was hooked in the first episode. By default in Apple TV it started playing the dubbed version but we switched to the Korean version. The dubbing wasn't horrible but it sounded unnatural enough that subtitles was preferable.
West Side Story (2021)
Not best picture but worth watching
If you love the musical you'll want to watch it. I love Rita Moreno's performance of the song "Somewhere", brought me to tears. No doubt this is a well crafted movie with excellent performances but wouldn't be my choice for best picture.
Pig (2021)
Good but...
Didn't quite have the emotional impact I expected. I wonder if they cut too much. Maybe the pig needed more screen time or we needed to see some flashbacks with Rob's wife instead of just hearing a recording on cassette tape. There were several other things that bothered me which I could have overlooked if I felt an emotional connection. I'm really surprised this movie showed up on so many top ten lists for 2021. Definitely wouldn't make my top ten but it's worth watching if you're in the mood for a depressing movie.
Star Trek: Discovery (2017)
Mixed feelings (1 minor spoiler)
Discovery looks amazing and is mostly entertaining but focuses on characters talking about their feelings so frequently it can get a bit tedious. It gets worse in season 4 when even the computer suddenly has "feelings". We'll see where they go with that but my initial reaction is a huge eye roll and loud groan. It's not too horrible so I'll keep watching for now.
Cry Macho (2021)
Macho deserves an Oscar
The rooster is the real hero in this movie. Yes, the rooster named Macho deserves an Oscar. That's the best thing I can say about this movie.
Den of Thieves (2018)
Really?
I know it's just a movie but if the gun battle at the climax is how a supposedly "elite" team would operate in real life I sure wouldn't want to be one of the innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire. It's also truly laughable that the mastermind got all the information he needed from Federal Reserve employees doodles on napkins at the bar. You wouldn't miss anything if you skipped this one.
Wine Country (2019)
Couldn't finish it
My wife picked it but we both decided to bail a half hour in. Not funny or entertaining. Amy Poehler's role is basically a boring version of Leslie Knope from Parks and Recreation.
Roma (2018)
I liked it but...
It's the type of movie filmmakers and film buffs appreciate more than the average viewer. I think you also have to be in the right frame of mind to truly appreciate Roma. Unless you're into slowly paced black and white movies with subtitles Roma might not for you. Alfonso Cuarón fans will love it