Change Your Image
ThisisFizban
Reviews
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
Expectations
I think most people going into the theater had low or no expectations going into this movie because a dungeons and dragons movie hasn't come out in years and the previous one is laughably bad. I just saw it in March of 2024 and I'd heard many good things about it. I used to play D&D as a teenager so it is nostalgic for me. I really have no problem with a D&D movie being a comedy since that's how me and my friends played it. But I think if you're going to play it off as a Dungeons and Dragons comedy you should at least establish it as a real quest with modern day characters. It doesn't have to be that way but it would've improved the jokes they were trying to make in the movie.
But they wanted to go with a regular fantasy comedy, that's fine. They could've taken the Dungeons and Dragons name off of it and no one would've noticed. The movie had it's good points. It didn't really get good for me until the last 45 minutes. But in general there was too much reliance on loud crazy action scenes that were just spectacle. I felt no suspense that the characters were in danger. It was ok but nothing too memorable. Except for Jarnathan. He was pretty epic.
Made for Each Other (2023)
Hilarious
This movie was hilariously bad. It seems like the makers of this movie understood the idea of hilariously bad movies because a lot of other Hallmark movies are just cheesy bad or painfully cheesy bad. I honestly laughed out loud many times while watching this. And not during the stand up comedy sets, oh boy those were painful. Lots of overacting. Her sister's fiancee for example. And that ending was really something else. A lot of people are complaining about Teryl Rotherys' character but I thought she was very funny. And last but not least, Clay was the star of this movie. I need a sequel but with him as the main character.
Moonshot (2022)
Enjoyable fun
I'm a little disappointed by the low rating on this movie. I realize that some people are going to find it cheesy and yes it is at times, but that is part of the genre. I found the main characters to be engaging and interesting. So many characters in movies these days are dark and brooding. But it's nice to see characters who are hopeful about life. Many people complain about the artificial nature of the opposite attract trope in romance movies. However I feel like they wrote the characters that superseded this problem. Starting at the scene in the coffee shop, despite their differences, their conversation flowed easily and there was an openness that is uncommon between most people. In her mind she perceived herself as completely different than him but really they saw life in the same way. The only difference was their intelligence level. I have to admit that I also have a slight crush on Lana Condor, so that's another reason I enjoyed the film. It is of course formulaic but it was a fun movie with an interesting space twist. The snarky, sarcastic robots were a nice touch.
Breezy (1973)
A wonderful surprise
This is one of those rare movies that made me rethink life. William Holden's quote about growing old and only getting tired instead of maturing really connected with me. I'm only in my 40's but at times the craziness of this life leaves me tired and a bit pessimistic. Sometimes you have to protect yourself from bad people like William Holden's character said. But how much "protection" is necessary. This was a beautiful movie. I think the main message is to embrace all the beautiful things in life and brush aside the criticisms of other people. I would give this 10 stars however the excessive nudity limits who I recommend this movie to. I think everyone deserves to see the beautiful story in this movie. Unfortunately not everyone will care for the nudity.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Rules of Engagement (1996)
So so
I always enjoy the Star Trek trial episodes. This one was kind of strange and ultimately didn't come together for me. First off, the Klingon prosecutor admitted to Sisko in Quark's bar that the Klingons had ulterior motives about the trial. I can't remember his exact words but the fact that Captain Sisko didn't bring that up in the hearing was kind of ridiculous. The whole situation was so suspect and the Klingon prosecutor was so obviously up to something that it was hard to take seriously. I have to say, I still have the rest of the seasons to watch but so far I'm not a huge fan of this new Sisko. I've heard so many people talk about how he got so much better after the goatee. His increased seriousness just seems forced to be honest.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022)
Lots of fun
I put off watching this show because I didn't hear very good things but what the crap, this show is great! So with that said, I can see why some people wouldn't like it. It tends to ramble a bit in it's plot but that in my opinion is it's strength. We've all seen enough tv and movies to know the tropes and formulaic plots. But this show always keeps you guessing. To the point that certain scenes and episodes take on these surreal dream-like qualities. I grew up reading comics and I feel like one of the accomplishments of this show is capturing the spirit of a comic book. There is something admirable about trying to adapt a comic book in a realistic gritty way. But it's been done and it can get kind of old. Comic books can be plenty serious. But given that certain comic book characters have been around for over 60 years, sometimes writers will get tired of rehashing the same old and they will come up with some truly off the wall crazy stuff. Also the music was incredible.
Never Have I Ever: ...lived the dream (2022)
That ending....
So if you read my subject line and imagined a smile on my face, well you were wrong! That ending! I was going to give this episode 10 stars but for some reason the show writers continue to keep Ben around as a potential romantic partner. The guy is a complete douche. He really is Gross. I was angry how they ended season 1 but thankfully it didn't last long between them. I honestly don't see them as a couple. Besides them both being smart they don't have anything else in common. He works as an adversarial frenemy character but as Devi's boyfriend no! He is a well written character, I'll give him that. He's got more depth than your average tv character. But anyways I'm bummed that Devi isn't going to Colorado. That could have been a nice new development. Besides that disappointment with Ben, episode 10 was great.
How Do You Know (2010)
I couldn't finish it
I went into this movie with no expectations. I had never even heard of it. But what I got was a movie with a script that probably needed to be given a couple more drafts. It was a mess. Maybe it made sense in the screenwriter's head but most of the time a movie needs a fuller perspective from lots of people. The dialogue was artificial. So were a lof ot the situations. I made it 50 minutes in and I just didn't care anymore. This felt like an alien studied human behavior and then made their best attempt at how humans interact.
Cruel Intentions (1999)
Just bad
I just saw this for the first time in 2022. I remember when it came out but I had no interest in seeing it. And let me tell you this movie did not age well in my opinion. People who saw it in it's day will defend it but it's just the nostalgia. But beside it being a dated time capsule let me give some other criticisms. Sarah Michelle Gellar in this movie pretty much has one emotion and one way of delivering her lines and she sticks to it. Selma Blair was probably the only interesting thing about the movie. I don't know, maybe I was craving a comedy. The setup with Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillipe just felt unbelievable to me. They painted her out to be a smart self aware person. And she just caves in with the dumbest lines that are obvious manipulations. Besides Selma Blair, there's pretty much all unlikable boring characters all around. This movie had a weird vibe. I don't know, they were making movies like this in the late 90's and early 2000's. And they didn't really interest me.
Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Inner Light (1992)
Great science fiction
I'm really surprised that I had never even heard of this episode until today. I watched TNG back in the 90's on tv regularly. But then again that was pre-streaming days. I don't have much to say about this episode except that it's great science fiction. It explores interesting topics and makes us think. I do have one complaint and this is why I didn't give it a 9 or 10. But I wish that the episode could have been at least 10 or 15 minutes longer. That final shot was powerful with the flute. So much emotion was conveyed on Picard's face. And there was so much to unpack there. Star Trek TNG is known for it's great interpersonal dialogue so I was hoping for further development. A possible reason for all this was they must have run out of time in the episode. That's unfortunate. Nowadays, streaming shows have more liberty in the length of each episode.
You May Not Kiss the Bride (2011)
Not too bad
Expectations are big when it comes to movies. That being said I went into this with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised. There was actual jokes and some thought put into the plot. Not much...but enough for it to be passable entertainment. It's a pretty random selection of character actors who all add some humor. Rob Schneider is hit or miss but he wasn't too bad in this. Anyways, go in with low expectations and you might be entertained.
Thunder Force (2021)
Good concept...
Good concept and some good actors but most of the jokes didn't land for me. Honestly there were some bizarre scenes in this movie and I'm especially referring to The Crab. If his character was Melissa McCarthy's hallucination/fantasy then that might've made a little more sense. But him being there made me wonder what on earth am I watching? Then there was the part at the end where the daughter just saves them with super speed and it was never explained. I like the idea of a super hero parody but this just didn't work for me. Oh yeah and then there was all the raw chicken... which was just disgusting.
Cobra Kai: The Rise (2021)
Good but...
My rating of 7 is referring to the entire season 4, not just this episode. Season 4 was good but it felt incomplete to me. The season finale of season 3 felt like The Empire Strikes Back. Not literally but in an artistic way. Return of the Jedi came along and just ended the trilogy in such a beautiful satisfying way. It was amazing. Season 4 of Cobra Kai had the potential to be a Return of the Jedi. But..I have a feeling like with many shows that the studios just couldn't leave such a popular show alone. I get that but it was a little disappointing.
As far as the tournament I was actually really pleased that Eli won it. I actually called it at the beginning of episode 9. And I was actually somewhat pleased that Tory won it as well. Sam can be a bit of a spoiled brat. I think some humility could be good for her. In some ways Tory feels like Daniel Larusso from the original Karate Kid. They did do some good things with the season finale I won't deny that. But it could've been better.
I'm pretty sure that most of the fans didn't like Anthony Larusso before season 4. And yeah...I still don't care about him. I thought it was a waste of time trying to develop him as a character. And I treat Karate Kid part 3 just like all the Terminator movies after Terminator 2. They don't exist. But despite that, bringing Terry Silver into the show was a good move. He was a great villain and offered an interesting contrast to Kreese. One of the things I noticed about season 4 was the lack of humor. Or at least less of it compared to the previous seasons. In my mind I kept having to remind myself, wait which dojo is that character in now? Or who is dating who now? That could present a problem for future seasons. When you start to move around main characters like chess pieces just for the sake of the plot it starts to erode who they are as characters. I've seen this in other series and I hope it doesn't happen.
Oh and don't get me started with the episode where Johnny tried to convince the kids to jump over to the next building. That was unnecessary and completely negated the character development of Johnny. That might have happened in season 1 or 2 but to throw that in there now just made me so angry. And Daniel walking over the coals? So stupid.
So yeah I am a critic. Sorry about that. In general not the season I was hoping for but I'll still watch season 5. The show has great characters. It's probably the strongest point of the series. The question is, how far are they going to go with this? Will they have the integrity to end the show in a satisfying way? We'll see.
Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
Fun
I was a kid when this movie came out but I didn't see it until now(2022). I didn't see it for two reasons. First off I'm not the biggest Eddie Murphy fan. Yes, he's talented. Coming to America is one of my favorite movies. And Trading places is fun too. But his 90's movies went way down in quality. I grew up seeing the original Nutty Professor. It's a classic. And Eddie Murphy's remake is just a bloated horrendous piece of crap. Anyways I'm going on tangents.
The other reason I didn't see it was because I grew up in a conservative religious household. And at least within our church community this was a controversial film. I sort of doubt the rest of the world saw it that way. But I avoided it because of that.
Fast forward to 2022 and my review of Beverly Hills Cop. I don't know if I have too much to say about it other than it was an enjoyable film. I can see why it got the attention. The soundtrack was great. I imagine that some people today might laugh at how cheesy the theme song sounds. But I don't think so. This was a product of it's time. Yet I can still see modern movies doing the same thing. It's too bad Judge Reinhold didn't get more fame. The same goes with Bronson Pinchot. I'll probably see the sequel but I don't have high expectations.
The New Mutants (2020)
Not too bad
First off I'll say that the new mutants have a special place in my heart. I read their comics back in the day. So this movie was appealing at least on a nostalgic level. It's too bad they couldn't get Warlock but I sort of understand. As far as the movie goes, it's not great. But it was still engaging enough. It was weird and wild. And it should be. I can imagine some people were like, what the crap am I watching?? I hope there are sequels. But judging from the negative response that may not happen.
Mystic Pizza (1988)
I finally watched it
So, it was ok... I'll be fair and say I'm probably not the target audience. I wasn't completely engaged but also not completely bored either. My main interest in the film comes from the fact that I grew up on the Connecticut shoreline about 45 minutes from Mystic. So there was a lot of nostalgia from that. I heard this was actually filmed in Stonington CT, a sleepier town than mystic. Which makes sense because mystic was always bustling with tourists. Besides the restaurant mystic pizza(I've never actually eaten there before lol), Mystic was mostly known for the Mystic Aquarium. Pizza really is embedded into the Connecticut culture though. Chain pizza restaurants are filled with employees who are just there for the paycheck. But Connecticut (and the whole northeast) is dotted with so many independent pizzerias. For the owners this is their life and legacy. And for the regular employees often times they are in the family business or have a deep connection to what they're doing. The movie Mystic Pizza really captured this perfectly. I'm very quick to correct someone when they say New York has the best pizza. New Haven is where it's at. Sorry, not much of a movie review lol.
No Time to Die (2021)
What did I just sit through?
I could go nit picky on this review but honestly I really appreciated some other reviews that summed up my feelings a lot better than I could. I will say though that this whole movie should have just been scrapped and then the series rebooted with Ana de Armas as 007. She was phenomenal. All the other actors including Lashana Lynch (the new 007) looked like they didn't want to be there. Ralph Fiennes was so unenthusiastic it was kind of sad. The opening action scene in Italy was one of the only highlights of the movie. Bond movies should go back to being fun and campy. This trend to make everything dark and realistic works with some movies but it's way overdone.
Captain Fantastic (2016)
An interesting movie
I wanted to rate this movie higher but it was the ending that was kind of a let down. I believe it was inferred that they essentially went back to home school with the exception of Bodevan. I suppose this is a believable ending but the problem is is that so much of the movie was pointing us toward change, change and more change. And then for it to go back to the same old, it was sort of disappointing for me. Take the rebellious son who got injured on the cliff. There were some pretty big dramatic moments where things should have lead into some kind of separation and character growth. But unfortunately it was never explored fully. I admire the Dad's effort and determination to raise his kids in a different way. They all had brilliant minds. However they needed social skills which public school or college would provide. When I look back at my youth I think of the great friends I had. And the fun times we had. If all I had was my family...that would be a shame. I love my family but we need more than that. Bodevan was probably my favorite character and personally if they made a sequel just about him I would see it for sure. The scene at the campground with him and the girl was hysterical. The dialogue and their acting was superb. That moment that he lies about knowing the show Star Trek was funny but also very telling as well. For a second he was putting aside how he had been raised and realized that this is real life. I was kind of upset they just abruptly ended their interaction. At least show that he got her number or something. Overall it was an engaging film with lots of memorable scenes. The ending bothered me though.
Midnight Sun (2018)
Cringey
This movie was kind of hard to watch. As soon as the Dad basically told her daughter she was hot I was like, oh crap what did I get myself into. There was a lot of lazy writing. Katie asks her friend to go to the train station to get her notebook because she left it there by accident. As soon as she gets there there's whatever his name is with the notebook. This was the following day. Was this just a coincidence that he was there? Or had he been waiting there the entire day in case she shows up? Seriously it seems like the screenplay was written in a few days and then never edited after that. The movie was sort of engaging at times but nothing too special. The ending was just ridiculous and morally questionable. She's there with her Dad, her best friend and her boyfriend, the three most important people in her life and they all just made no objections about her going to kill herself. I guess I can see the Dad respecting her final wish. But the boyfriend at least should have said something. Anyways the song she records is actually really beautiful and is the highlight of the movie for me. You might be thinking I'm just hating on a movie because it's not my genre. But I would say the The Fault In Our Stars is up there with some of my favorite movies. But it's got great actors. And it takes the trouble to have in depth interesting conversation between the characters that makes you care about them. In Midnight Sun it just felt like the characters were together next to each other but only because the director told them to be there lol.
Atypical (2017)
A memorable show
For praise I'll say it's a great show. Elsa has to be the most annoying character of all time though. Which is good...because not all characters should be likable. But Jennifer Jason Leigh's performance can be pretty terrible at times. But I guess if you're one of the show's producers then you can do what you want. One of the elephants in the room that I kept wishing they would address was how Elsa is on the spectrum. I don't know what exactly she has but there are some pretty obvious times where they point out these characteristics. One thing that did cross my mind though is that possibly the family is so used to her craziness that everyone just already knows and there is no point in talking about it. It would have been nice if at least Julia the therapist or any other outside character would have pointed it out. Anyways, it's a lost opportunity. I was annoyed that Elsa pushed the UCLA opportunity on Casey near the end. She should have just respected her wishes. That woman drove me crazy all throughout this series. I was actually rooting for Doug and Megan to get together haha.
There were a few points in the show that just really stood out. The graduation speech just had me glowing and laughing. His epiphany when he meets Stumpy for the first time was also excellent. The episode when they go to break up Zahid's wedding was amazing. Many people criticize Casey in season 4 but when she freezes at the race that really moved me. Oh yeah and possibly my favorite side character was Julia. She was great. Her interactions with Sam and his Dad as well. I wish she had gotten more screen time near the end. The episode where Sam casually breaks into her house with the "sex fruit" just had me dying of laughter. Evan was slightly boring until they developed his character more in season 3. And Izzie was just kind of ok I guess... With a few exceptions this show is full of some great characters,
The To Do List (2013)
Crazy and over the top
I wanted to rate this movie higher because there were many laugh out loud moments throughout. However I eventually found the characters to be kind of off putting and annoying. Aubrey Plaza was awesome as usual even though her character was sort of sloppily written. The plot was all over the place. Music was good. I thought they really nailed the macho competitive attitude between the guys. Being a guy myself it really brought back memories of my teenage years and how annoying all of that crap was. Agent Coulsen, I mean Clark Gregg's character was one of the funniest characters in the movie. He kind of stole every scene that he was in. Similar to what John Ritter did in Bad Santa. Bill Hader's character while pretty despicable and annoying at many times was one of the deeper characters. In the end I ended up caring about him more than the others. He is definitely a gifted comedian and actor. As far as the plot goes, it had a one track mind if you know what I mean. And while that lead to many laughs it also got somewhat repetitive and tiresome. Comparing this movie to Ingrid Goes West, that film was more well rounded. There was some crude crazy humor but deep characters as well. And some really raw emotional material. I'm not saying this movie has to be exactly like Ingrid Goes West but the characters and plot in The To Do List seemed one dimensional at times.
Warehouse 13: Endless (2014)
A wonderful ending
This episode I give a 10, the series as a whole probably an 8. My favorite characters on the show were Pete and Myka without a doubt. The other characters are great too but Pete and Myka's goofy flirty somewhat contentious relationship always kept me entertained. I kind of was hoping from the beginning that they'd end up together and I'm glad they didn't rush into it. It made it more believable in the end. Even though they had big differences, their years spent together eroded all that until they had built a deep trust that doesn't happen with love at first sight. People have complained they have no chemistry but I disagree. I think in many ways they were fighting off their feelings for various reasons. There is one teeny complaint I have with the episode and I guess maybe it's just my own personal wishes. But it bothered me that only Steve saw Mrs Frederic's memory with Leena. That was a mistake not sharing that with the whole crew. It could have been a powerful moment. But oh well, I still give it a 10. As far as the shortened series, that didn't bother me. In fact I thought it was the right decision. I felt like the plot and the many events that played out had showed enough of the story. If they had continued it, it would have felt too drawn out. Best to end it on a high note. There were some tears shed. I was hoping for some resolution as far as Pete and Myka's situation. Maybe make them regents for example? But it doesn't matter. It leaves it up to our imagination.
A Walk to Remember (2002)
A bit cheesy
I liked the first half of this movie. I felt like the character development was interesting and it presented some intriguing characters. Once they really fell in love, all the dialogue was just so over the top and cheesy. It lost the believability for me. I am a 40 year old male so maybe if I had seen this as a teenager it would have made more of an emotional impact but I started to lose interest near the end. The male lead seemed very stiff to me in his acting. I think novels have their own vibe. And maybe in the book the dialogue comes off as amazing but when it's real live actors delivering the same lines it just doesn't come off the same.
The Good Place: Patty (2020)
Wow...
Sometimes this show is silly and ridiculous. And that's not a bad thing. But it can also hit you in the feels with great characters who really band together and fall in love. During season 3 I actually decided that Eleanor and Chidi are up there with some of my favorite fictional couples. But it can also hit you with some really thought provoking genius concepts. This episode pretty much has all of those things. A lot of people wonder if heaven is just going to be floating around on clouds being constantly happy. I'm glad this episode addressed that question. There is one thing that I was hoping they were going to mention. While I think having that exit option is a great idea. I think there is an aspect of heaven that we don't think about. I think in heaven we aren't going to be satisfied just doing whatever we want all the time. Humans need to feel like they have a purpose. They want to leave a legacy and create things. We feel proud of our work. Obviously there are lots and lots of crappy jobs in this life. But I think in heaven all the work we will be doing will be satisfying and make the universe a better place. Because there is a season for all things. There is a time to drive around in go carts with monkeys. And also a time to spend time cuddled up on a couch with our loved ones looking at a stunning view. And there is also a time to work and add something to our existence. All of these things make up a beautiful happy life. I still enjoyed the episode a lot. And maybe this will be addressed in the last two episodes.
Tall Girl (2019)
Could've been better
As far as the ending, I can see what they were going for. Trying to steer away from going after the most popular and the most beautiful. There's one big problem though. Dunkleman was freaking annoying. They're supposedly friends but she seems annoyed by him throughout the entire film. I didn't see any chemistry at all. Dunkleman and Liz for sure. And then Stig was actually a really cool dude. Besides his slip up at the party he seemed like a totally genuine person and really nice. Besides those things the movie wasn't so bad but ending it on that note left me pretty unsatisfied.