Ratings
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Reviews
Debris (2021)
Good scifi start. Many questions to be answered.
I don't know why others are being so hard on this series after just one episode. My wife and I enjoyed this as much as "Fringe" when it started out. We'll see what we think after several episodes, but for now it was very enjoyable. I would like it more if the music was turned down in volume to match the dialogue, but otherwise the acting and story were good.
Tenet (2020)
One of the better James Bond-like films I've seen
Enjoy it as a James Bond movie mixed with a little light science fiction. It's got all the elements. The Protagonist is 'Bond-like, the villain is wealthy and very bad, the female lead is interesting and attractive, and the action is actually quite good. Some of the scenery is spectacular!
Various reviewers are complaining that the story is too complex or illogical. I don't agree. First, the complexity is a fair amount less than the intriguing and dark television series "Dark", which is popular on streaming right now. Second, the rules of the technology in "Tenet" are somewhat unknown, since scientists don't understand everything about it.
In any case, whether you like the sci-fi aspect or not, I think if you treat this like a James Bond film, you'll find it very enjoyable entertainment.
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (2016)
Excellent first episode
I did not read the books, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I am familiar with the Hitchhiker's Guide books, so I knew it had to be strange and perhaps funny.
With leads who have been in "The History Boys" and "The Lord of the Rings" movies, you might expect nice performances. The acting was terrific. I'm sure there are other pros you will recognize as well.
As a published science fiction writer, I know how difficult it is to do comedy science fiction. Just ask any editor and they'll tell you that they rarely see it written, and even rarer that it's any good. In this case, I suppose it is more comedy scifi/supernatural, but that doesn't make it any easier. Yet, the first episode of this series manages to be intriguing, funny, and creative all at the same time. I don't know if it is anything like what the books described, but if it continues to be as well done as the first episode, I'm on board.
A Covenant with Death (1967)
Not very good
If it weren't for the fact that the idea behind this story is interesting, I would have rated it even lower. I haven't read the book, but it gets good reviews. The first several pages of the book in the free preview on Amazon did not feel like it described the same place or people as I saw in this film. The book also doesn't have any music like that in the movie. I think that's a good thing. Much of the music in the movie is forgettable at best, annoying at times.
In this movie there are too many excursions from the main theme, and Maharis isn't good enough to make those non-essential scenes believable or interesting. His scenes with his mother (Katy Jurado), as well as with Rosemary (Laura Devon), seem like mostly filler for a 1 hour 37 minute movie that could/should have been shorter. Katy Jurado was much better in "High Noon". Here she is okay, maybe trying at times a bit too hard to save scenes where Maharis isn't good enough. Devon's scenes -- both in number and length -- feel stretched to keep the movie long enough.
In other words, if you take just the legal and philosophical issues and work them into a television screenplay, this might have worked better as a 1 hour television episode of ... pick your favorite old legal show -- Perry Mason?. It also might have worked as a science fiction story on "Twilight Zone", where often difficult moral issues are faced head on -- such as the one about the robot that is accused of murder.
This movie does feature a couple of attractive actresses (Laura Devon and Wende Wagner), as well as an early-career performance by Gene Hackman and a good effort by Earl Holliman. As I said the main subject matter is interesting too. But don't be surprised if most of this movie doesn't keep your interest.
The Martian (2015)
Not very entertaining, and not very exciting
I'm an engineer, so I enjoy science in my science fiction. But more than that, I most enjoy a science fiction movie that's exciting and entertaining. "The Martian" is mostly neither. "The Martian" must have been sold to investors as "Robinson Crusoe on Mars" meets "Gravity". Ultimately, though, it is not as entertaining as either of those movies, and here's why.
What I really like about "Gravity" is that they took an otherwise rather slow-moving and potentially boring space story and turned it into a roller coaster ride. I thought the movie had good pacing and good effects. The film excelled -- was perhaps groundbreaking -- in its look and feel of being in space.
"The Martian" presents itself as science that could really happen, almost a documentary of this guy's life on Mars. But the story is full of holes -- see many other reviewer comments -- just as "Gravity" is -- many pointed these out as well. "Robinson Crusoe on Mars" (1964) is a silly tale, with not much scientific accuracy, yet I found it (still do) to be entertaining -- even endearing.
"The Martian" comes off as full of itself. Everything is so melodramatic. The writers feel they have to throw dialogue at us to make us understand just how amazing something is that is about to happen or already happened. I do think Matt Damon is a fine actor and does a good job with his role. It's just that the writers and director chose the easy route of letting their actor's ability and the Mars special effects sell the movie. They made an okay movie, but not a very entertaining or great movie.
If it were me, I wouldn't nominate the director or writers for this one. I've always had a fascination with Mars, so for me it was enough just to see the fantastic landscapes revealed in the movie through some nice special effects. Wish there had been more of that and less gratuitous dialogue.
Terminator Salvation (2009)
Entertaining and moves the story forward
This movie doesn't quite have the intensity of the first film. Nor does it have a terminator as frightening as the one in the second film. But, I was surprised that it actually does have a script that moves the story forward reasonably well.
Some critics have complained that Christian Bale took over the movie. I disagree. He plays John Connor accurately and emotionally.
Sam Worthington should get noticed for his role as Marcus. He needed to give this character dimension, and he does.
On the whole, the acting is very good. Helena Bonham Carter may not have been the right actress to play the part of Dr. Kogan.
The special effects are fantastic. This is an entertaining movie that I recommend to anyone, especially fans of the series.