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Reviews
Will Trent (2023)
A procedural wrapped in a character study.
So apparently this is based on a book. And judging by the comments, they imagine the book to be different than the show and fault the show for it. Well guess what, they are different things. While the show may differ from the book, I don't really care. The show is excellent. It's one part procedural, that follows a case of the week, but there are human elements that serve as thru lines from week to week. Will is set up to be a partial savant, but he's got flaws. He's not perfect. He's damaged, as are most people in reality. He is portrayed not as a genius, but someone who is really good at parts of their job, but less so at other parts. He's not infallible, he sometimes needs help and that is where the rest of the cast comes in. Week to week they work on cases, helping each other and working a way forward. Everyone contributes and are allowed to be full characters. The stories are told with humor and heart. Highly recommended, I hope it lasts.
A Christmas Story Christmas (2022)
A love letter to Dads and the Hollidays
Perhaps I was already full of emotion, having watched this during the holidays, but this movie got to me in a good way. Touching and poignant. Full of sentiment for fathers and both the joy and stress that the holidays can bring. A touching tribute to Darren McGavin and the whole cast of the original film. Fun to see most everyone back, albeit many years later. Perhaps not quite as magical as the first but is a worthy spiritual successor with lots of good moments. The only thing missing would be the original narrator who voice has been replaced by Peter Billingsly, who is fine, but the original voice would have been a welcome through line.
Barbarian (2022)
Top Notch Thriller without being a gore fest
A really well done and suspenseful thriller. Done with atmosphere and tension and very little gore. Well acted and a surprising amount of humor. A clever story, which left me surprised at every turn. The main lead is terrific and does a lot to carry the film. I went in knowing nothing about the movie and if you can do the same it will probably enhance your enjoyment. I wouldn't say the movie relies on twists, but it would be better to let it play out organically without knowing any of the details that come later. That said, I think the movie stands on its own, even if you have some idea of what might happen later.
Bullet Train (2022)
Almost
Loses some steam in the third act. A solid set up and premise, but takes a little too long to wrap it up and isn't quite as satisfying as it should've been.
Tomorrowland (2015)
A near hit
Has a lot of good elements, but doesn't quite gel. I can't exactly pinpoint why. Good effects, good acting, good message, but just feels like it should've been more. Maybe it's the pacing. Other than the scene in Clooney's house, which is electric, it just feels lackluster.
Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022)
If you like the show.....
.....you are going to love this. All of the familiar faces are here and they all get to have some nice moments. A perfectly pleasant additional chapter and I would be perfectly happy to have a new one of these every other year. Leaves you warm and fuzzy.
The Thing About Pam (2022)
Riveting and I knew the story
So well done and I knew the story! Rene does such a good job as the despicable scheming Pam. I couldn't wait for each week's episode. Josh Duhamel was fantastic as the one guy who believed in Russ. If it weren't true it would be hard to believe.
Batman Forever (1995)
Not as bad as it's reputation.
Stuck between the gothic darkness of Tim Burton and the realistic take of Nolan lies this somewhat campy and colorful take on the Batman. I think the subsequent disaster that was Batman and Robin, stylistically similar, has rubbed off on this one. Definitely has its moments and some good sequences, but is a bit overstuffed. Jim Carey makes for a good comic book style Riddler, though the plot is muddled in parts.
Scream (2022)
Not a mold breaker, like the original, but entertaining enough
Not a mold breaker like the original, but entertaining enough. Nice mix of new and old characters and enough self awareness to feel fresh in an an age of reboots and recycled ideas. Pays homage to the original while bringing in enough new ideas that it doesn't feel like an unnecessary chapter.
The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009)
Oof. Watch the original instead.
Watch the original instead. Though being somewhat faithful to the original, they still tweak things in a manner that is not helpful. It's mostly changed to create a head to head with Travolta and Denzel, which is not really present in the original and doesn't really work given the machinations of the plot.
The Big Year (2011)
Botched marketing and misrepresented gem of a movie
A warm and touching movie mksmarketed as a wacky comedy. The story revolves around bird watching, but isn't really about birds. It's about the people involved and the people we meet along the way and the things we do for the pursuit of our passions. Bird watching is the common pursuit and the quest to see as many species as one can during a "Big Year"
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
Looks like it's gone political.
Anyone who tells you this is a 1 or 2 star movie is full of it or has an ax to grind. That's preposterous. This is a good movie, but it has flaws. The main one is that it doesn't earn its 2.5 hour!! runtime. It should be at least 20 minutes shorter. But there is a lot of good stuff. Gal Gadot and Chris Pine are again excellent. If you dig their chemistry then there should be enough here for you to enjoy.
Secret in Their Eyes (2015)
American filmmaking at its worst
It's interesting to see a movie like this and wonder just what the f they were doing. There is a blueprint for an amazing version of this film, it's the Spanish original. These people had no idea what was good about the original and sucked all the suspense and mystery out of it. Characters are missing and rewritten for no discernible reason other than to give Julia Roberts more screen time. WTF. Watch the original instead. Chiwitel, Kidman and Bruce Norris do well, blame the director and the rewritten parts for this disaster.
AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004)
If you want a movie with Aliens and Predators.....
Not a great movie, but if you want a movie with Aliens and Predators this probably is good enough. Cheap thrills and decent effects.
The Hunt (2020)
Meh. The satire didn't work for me.
This didn't work as satire for me. If it had just been straight up violence, it would've worked better. Has it's moments and the lead actors are solid, but just doesn't gel.
The Replacements (2000)
A bad movie made good by the cast of characters
This is not a good movie by standard metrics, but it works and I would watch it again and again and again. It's fun and wins you over even though the script is lazy and you mostly know what is going to happen. This is mostly due to a great cast led by Keanu Reeves and Gene Hackman, but also a whose who of "That Guy" supporting characters. Jon Favreau, Orlando Jones, Jack Warden, "Roy" from the office, playing a nice guy, Rhys Ifans. Everyone is so likeable and you end up really rooting for them.
Crawl (2019)
Sort of Jaws with crocodiles
Not a ton of surprises here. Killer crocs and death. Competently done and succeeds on the strengths of the two leads and the direction with a less is more philosophy.
The Predator (2018)
Decent in short segments, but lacks any kind of logical consistency
Feels like 6 different scripts cobbled together at random. Nothing makes sense. Ideas are introduced and then abandoned. In short bursts, there are signs of competence, but then there is no connection to the next segment.
Heard in an a podcast with Keegan Michael Key that they had the idea to take the archetypes from the original film and filter them through the current day PC sensibilities. Interesting premise which is not followed through on.
The Last Starfighter (1984)
Enjoyable, if a tad familiar
Might be a bit of Star Wars rip off. Might have effects that are rather dated, but is still quite fun. Mainly due to the nice turns by Preston, Guest x 2 and O'Herily.
Robot Ninja (1989)
A steaming pile of crap, yet highly amusing.
Make no mistake, this is a very bad movie. It is a rare gem that is so bad it will leave you aching with laughter. Its hard to imagine what the makers were thinking as they made it. I wonder what they thought once they saw the finished product. Did they laugh as much as I? Will you?
The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)
Ridiculously silly, yet enjoyably bad action film.
If you can suspend your level of disbelief farther than most, you will be rewarded here. Unrealistic and illogical to the max, but good performances with many memorable one liners make this a good, but not great film. You won't think about it afterwards. I promise.
Grounded for Life (2001)
Thus far, Grounded has shown itself to be sharp and nimble.
Granted, there have only been four episodes aired as of today, but it has shown remarkable promise. The writing is sharp, the timing tight and the storylines not so outrageous that they become ridiculous. True, some may say this format has been done before, but if it's done well, so what?
Hollow Man (2000)
I can't decide if this is trash or genius.
Hollow Man features some amazing special effects, but unfortunately suffers from a mean and pointless story and stereotypical characters. Paul Verhoeven used to be a pioneer of sci-fi action films, but here he seems more interested in the effects than actually creating a story.
But also is a movie that made me sick to my stomach by the actions of the main character. Which is maybe the point. The power he achieves corrupts him and turns him into a monster? From that POV it works. It's just not fun to sit through.
Red Rock West (1993)
Featuring the late great character actor J.T. Walsh's meatiest role ever.
A smart taught quirky thriller with the usual off beat role for Nic Cage. Also featuring Lara Flyn Boyle of tv's "The Practice", Dennis Hopper and tour de force performance from the late great character actor J.T. Walsh. The meatiest role I've ever seen him in for sure. This movie is relentless, just when you think you know what is going on, it pulls the rug out from under you. Woefully under appreciated.