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Knives Out (2019)
What a wonderfully surprising movie!
I just watched this movie on Prime. I did not go into it with much in the way of expectations but I judged it worth a look going on its rating here. I am so glad that I did.
The movie is something of a slow burn. The pacing of the first act seems slow, but then builds up in the second act. The third act is awesome and represents a huge payoff for those who stick with it.
It is an incredibly clever movie which by the end of it will amaze you with its attention to detail.
Anna de Armas puts in a delightful performance of Marta. What a gem!
I am somewhat torn by Daniel Craig's performance of Benoit Blanc. I think the accent that he affects is too distracting. I am not sure exactly why. Maybe it is just not Daniel Craig-esque or maybe it is not maintained at a consistent level.
Chris Evans plays what appears to be a bit part. He is hardly sighted in the first two acts and I was a bit disappointed as I want to see how he does in a role post Captain America. However, that is just a ploy and he comes into his own in the third act. It was a wonderful performance that almost stole the show from Anna.
So why not 10 stars? I have asked myself that question a number of times. I struggle to give an answer. It just did not feel like a 10 star movie. Maybe 9.5 but we only have whole numbers to work with. I think the reason is the pacing of the movie in the first two acts, although I am wondering if in fact I am being unfair as I think the slower pacing at the start leads to a bigger payoff in the end. You be the judge...
Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (2020)
Just more DCEU crap
I really thought that the DCEU had turned a corner with Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Shazam! Each movie was progressively better and removed that horrible bitter taste left by such garbage as Batman v. Superman, Suicide Squad and Justice League. But this movie goes to show that is not the case at all.
It is pure garbage. The script is abysmal. The pacing is woeful. It has no heart. In short it is boring. Fortunately I watched it on a streaming service and so it was easy to "walk out" of it. I could only manage to suffer through the first half.
I have only just been prompted to review this movie after having suffered through the entirety of WW84. I would have walked out on that too but I paid real money to see it and I was the ride for others.
I really want DC movies to be good. Why can't they be good as Nolan's Batman trilogy? Or if you are going for a more campy feel at least be as good as Aquaman and Shazam!
Here is hoping that James Gunn's Suicide Squad delivers...
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
This movie makes no sense. It is awful.
I have used the spoiler tag but really there is no way to actually spoil this film more than it is spoiled from the get go. It is that bad. My 3 stars are charity stars.
I really wanted to like this film. The first one was good although it was let down by the third act. By comparison to the sequel it should have won Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay.
Fundamentally, the problem with this movie is the script.
It is pure nonsense.
It has no redeeming qualities at all. It does not even remain consistent with itself. You get one wish, and only one wish. Well, that is until it serves the so-called plot and then you can have a second wish. No-one wishes for anything good like world peace or cure for cancer or elimination of nukes or guns. Not one person in the whole world.
What is with all the wind in the studio? What was making that? All the incoming wishes? And what is with that column of light? What was the purpose of the (now destroyed) cameras if the column of light is magically telecasting?
I could go on. There are plot holes galore mixed in with utter stupid. The sickest part of the whole movie is that Steve Trevor just does not get recreated, when it seems that it is possible for that to happen with nukes and giant walls being made out of thin air. No, that does not happen, but rather he inhabits the body of some poor unsuspecting dude who is then taken from his life for about a week. What about his family? Has he lost his job? Was that really consensual sex?
I cannot think of a worse Super Hero movie and let's face it DC have produced a huge number of turkeys. Do not subject yourself to this rubbish. I wish that I had not done so.
Jumanji: The Next Level (2019)
Wow! Brilliant movie.
I have just got home after seeing this movie and I have to say that it was perfect. And that is something that I rarely say.
The story is great. It is extremely clever. There are multiple homages to the first of the "reboot" movies but without repeating anything from what came before. Visually it is stunning. Above all though it was hugely entertaining.
But the best thing for me was the acting. The actors playing the avatars were wonderful. You were left in no doubt throughout the movie who were the "people" behind the avatars. Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart and Jack Black all put it wonderful performances (which is not to diminish any of the others). Dwayne Johnson is often harshly dealt with in reviews, but in this movie he shows that he can really act.
To summarise: I am amazed just how well they pulled it off and at the same time made a better movie.
Edit: I see there are a number of people who are down voting this hard and even suggesting that the high reviews are shills. Well I have edited this to tell those poor misguided souls that this is a genuine review. I could not disagree more with all of the negative 1/10 and 2/10 reviews. This is a great entertaining movie. If you enjoyed the first reboot, you will undoubtedly enjoy this one.
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
It did not "WOW" me
The story lacks heart and sadly it centres on one of the biggest MacGuffins that I have seen in the last 10 or 20 years. It is not even a good or clever MacGuffin. The movie has very few emotive moments, when quite frankly (being the conclusion) it should have many. The plot has more holes than swiss cheese.
It seemed to me to be a "by the numbers" kind of movie. A sort of going through the motions just to get to the end point. That said it was overall enjoyable enough but for me it is a case of "been there, seen that".
The movie does not compare with something like Endgame. They are just not in the same league at all.
The more I think on it, I would have to say that my 7 rating is generous. I really wanted it to be great. Sadly, it is not. "great" isn't even in the rear-view mirror.
Tomorrow, When the War Began (2016)
Disappointed
I am a fan of the 2010 film even though it had its issues. I was really looking forward to the sequels, which never came. Then this popped up on Netflix, although it was misleading tagged as being a product of 2018. So it is one season of a 2016 show. Not a promising start. I now see why there is no season 2. It is flawed. Very flawed.
I was not bothered by the changes made to the show from the film. A number seemed to be budget driven and that is OK.
Generally, I would describe the acting as mediocre to poor. The scripts that the actors had to work with do not rise above "poor". You never really become invested in any of the characters. I really did not find myself caring about any of them. In fact they were mostly annoying, and oh so flaming stupid!
Plot holes abound. I will mention a few.
This group of kids is meant to be a group of rebels, causing all sorts of headaches for the occupying force. The Colonel in charge says as much to his superiors, and yet they actually do not really do anything of substance until the last episode and even then the efficacy of that act ("blowing up a bridge") has to be truly questioned. Also, this was supposedly heavily guarded. Hmmm, not really. Not at all.
The have opportunities to get weapons and the fail to pick them up. When they do get weapons they do not use them and/or they leave them behind.
At one point Homer says words to the effect that they had to act like soldiers. They do not.
There is not one point in the entire show that you actually believe that this group of kids are a threat to the occupying army.
The story line around the apparent deserter made no sense at all. I thought he had actually lied about being a deserter in order to better hunt the kids (although why the army was actually bothering to hunt them given that the really never did anything is a mystery) but then it turns out that he was in fact a deserter.
In the last episode two of the kids lay down their dirt bikes apparently to cause the chasing quad bike to crash. There is a nice little explosion of one of the dirt bikes during the collision. A few minutes later one of the kids gets back on the said dirt bike and rides away. Amazingly resilient bike it would seem.
Game of Thrones: The Iron Throne (2019)
I cannot believe how they so messed this show up.
Before this season I had rated the show a 10. Not many shows get that rating from me. I have now downgraded it to an 8 and I still feel like it is generous. Perhaps even my 4 for this episode is too generous. The rating is currently standing at 4.3 which I suspect is the lowest ever ranking for any GoT episode. I guess it makes a good (but easy) trivia question...
There is just so much wrong with this episode. First and foremost is how Jon got boned. There was no need for him to go to the Nights Watch (although it didn't look like he re-joined it but rather kept going north). The Unsullied had left Westeros.
Then there is the Conclave of Lords, that somehow just appears and apparently it is OK for the Eyrie (however it is spelt) to have two representatives and for Ser Davos to get a vote when he is not a Lord of anything and for them to decide the fate of the world and Jon without Jon ever getting a chance to be heard!
On top of that, why didn't Yara pull the Iron Islands out once Sansa pulled the North out? And why didn't every one else follow suit?
That is enough. I cannot bear to think about this garbage anymore. Hmmm, my 4 is too generous...
Captain Marvel (2019)
The Best Origin Story in a Long While
The title of my review really sums up my opinion. Marvel know their stuff. Some might say that this is a by-the-numbers movie and to some extent it is. The thing is that Marvel know just where those numbers should go and they get it right every time.
Most origin stories get stuck in the past with a large chunk of the movie being devoted to that (eg Wonder Woman). Not so with Captain Marvel. It starts telling a story and intersperses brief flash-backs to give us context. We discover who Captain Marvel is, just as she discovers who she is.
The runtime of just over 2 hours is perfect. No fluff (looking at you again Wonder Woman). There is a good mix of action, intrigue and humour. There is two plot twists, which I thought were well done. I also like how the movie was properly tied in with those that came before it and how CM's absence in the MCU has been explained.
So why didn't I give it a 10? It is possible that I am judging it a bit harshly. Perhaps to some extent it suffers as it stands in the shadow of Infinity War and the highly anticiapted Endgame. At the moment I feel that it is not as good as GotG or Thor: Ragnarok or Infinity War but those are very high bars to clear. Let's see how CM does in Endgame. I might revise my rating then.
Travelers (2016)
Can't wait for more!!!!
I have just finished watching season 3. Pretty much done in 3 days.
I thought season 1 was good. Season 2 was even better and I would even say "great". As for season 3? I have run out of superlatives: it is just that good.
Everything about the show is A+. The acting. The characters. The writing. The direction. All is top notch.
I guess none of that tells you much about the show, if you have never watched it. Just take my word for it: watch it!
The Break with Michelle Wolf (2018)
I am so glad that this show got axed
Why? Because it is just awful.
I could get past her voice (even though it is so annoying). What I could not get past though is her evident political bias and her utter disdain for any point of view that did not line up perfectly with her own.
I do not need to agree with a comedian's point of view and in fact I rarely do but I do need to find them funny. Michelle Wolf is not. Whoever told her that she was funny needs to up their meds!
God Friended Me (2018)
Wow there are some butt-hurt people out there!
I really love this show. It is really not so much about God but rather about people and relationships. The writing is good. The acting is great. You actually care about the characters. That is of course unless you are one of the butt-hurt-brigade: all those that have scored this 1/10 or similar.
I have watched the first 5 episodes today. The quality has been great all through but I would have to say that the 5th episode is the best of what I have watched.
I have rated it a 9 although I toyed with 10. I will see how the season goes and review my rating then. All I can say is do not listen to the negative reviews (which all appear to be way over the top and hence my designation BHB). Sure I get that a show might not be someone's cup of tea but to deliberately set out to tank the rating because you do not like what you perceive to be the message (which I think they get wrong) is just mean spirited.
Sneaky Pete (2015)
Awesome first two seasons
There are only a few shows that get a "10" from me and this is one of them and it maintains that ranking after it's second season, which I consider is quite a feat which another sophomore Amazon show failed at miserably ("Goliath" in case you are wondering).
The acting of GR is simply fantastic. I have always thought of him as a character/support actor but he is truly a great lead (much like Bryan Cranston now that I think on it).
But Sneaky Pete is more than that. It is clever with interesting characters and great supporting actors. Sure the plot strains credulity at times but that is part of its charm and it is still a great ride. I was so sad when I had run out of episodes to watch.
Edit: I have just finished watching season 3. Awesome. The show just keeps getting better and better. I really did not think it would be possible to top season 2 and yet that is exactly what they did. Great writing. Superb acting. Wonderful cinematography.
Goliath (2016)
How did they manage to screw season 2 up?
Season 1 was fantastic: a gripping well told and well acted story. Plenty of courtroom action (as you would expect from a show centered on a lawyer) but not too much. The ending was most satisfying.
Season 2 was the exact opposite, except that there was not many court room scenes and that which there is barely qualifies as "action". It is an abysmal show, with no real or compelling story and a number of "filler" episodes. The ending would have to rate as one of the worst season ending finales ever, and I have seen the finale of season 9 of Seinfeld!
My advice: watch season 1 and give season 2 a miss.
If there is a season 3 (and I cannot see why there should be) I expect that you could miss season 2 entirely although that presupposes that season 3 will be watchable, which is quite the assumption based on recent experience!
I explain my rating of 7 as being the average of the 9 for season 1 and the 5 for season 2, although the more I thiink on it I am being very generous giving season 2 a 5. Probably should be 3 or 4.
Goliath: Tongue Tied (2018)
Unsatisfying end
I find myself agreeing with user arcang7 (and the many similar reviews).
This was such a bad ending. Indeed the last 2 episodes were woeful. Pointless. Without direction. But more importantly providing no closure at all. There really was no Goliath takedown this season.
I had previously rated this show 9 after season 1. It no longer deserves that rating. I am really not sure what to give it now. For the moment I have gone for 7, which I guess it means that I have given season 2 a 5, which is really more than it deserves.
How anytihg so good can turn into something so bad is beyond my ability to comprehend.
Salvation (2017)
Pleasantly surprised
I started watching this show not expecting very much at all. I expected it to follow the well trodden path of similar movies and shows, but it is a bit more complex than that and that complexity makes it a better show.
There was one point when I was quite critical of one particular plot point. It did not make sense. It bugged me for a few episodes. But the writers demonstrated something that I often tell myself IRL...you do not know what you do not know. Once the back-story was further revealed, that thing that bothered me made perfect sense.
I watched the entire first season very quickly and I have to say that I really enjoyed it although in a guilty pleasure kind of way. Nevertheless, it did what it was supposed to do: entertain.
Kevin Can Wait (2016)
Season 2 is a disappointment
I enjoyed season 1 and thought that despite the change in cast it would still do well in season 2. Season 2 started off OK but now I find myself cringing. Kevin is just so self absorbed. It is just not funny. The scripts need better quality control.
Santa Clarita Diet (2017)
Great Show
I read the crap one star review and felt compelled to write my own simply because it could not be more wrong.
Note to reviewers: actually watch the whole show. Clearly that reviewer watched one or two episodes although I suspect even less than that.
Comparatively the first few episodes are not as good as those that follow but I think that is because they are really setting up the story and establishing the characters.
There are so many funny moments which mostly arise from situations going from bad to worse. I found the show quite compelling and very entertaining. YMMV.
No way is this show one star. No way.
Between (2015)
This show is quite good - I have watched it all unlike most reviewers...
I am pretty lazy here on IMDb and rarely write reviews but I felt compelled to do so given the utter trash that has been written thus far. Where do people get off writing a review of an entire show based upon 1 or 2 episodes?
The show is a slow burn. It takes a few episodes to set it up. It is best binge watched. I watched both seasons in less than 24 hours. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is not without its flaws but it did what a TV show is meant to do: entertain!
I have rated it a 9 but truth be told it really probably should be an 8 or an 8.5. The current sub-6 rating is totally unwarranted in my opinion.
So what is it about? An unknown virus infects a small town called Pretty Lake, and gradually kills off anyone over 22 years of age. Was it a natural occurrence? Was it an accident? Was it deliberate? Is there a conspiracy? How will they survive?
The town is quickly quarantined. No one gets in or out. The use of deadly force is authorised to enforce that edict.
There is a "Lord of the Flies" element to the show but it really does not dominate. I think the acting and writing was generally pretty good. The cinematography is awesome.
I accept one criticism (to a point) the characters might be regarded as little cliché but I think there there is a quite a lot of character development with most of them. That is, they aren't as shallow as the term "cliche" suggests.
The upshot is that I thoroughly enjoyed watching the show.
I think the show shares some similarities with "The 100", although I would rate "The 100" a better show, but it has also had more episodes to date.
Flashpoint (2008)
Five seasons of Great TV
I have just finished watching the series finale and then had the misfortune to read some disgusting reviews of this fine show. The finale was the best finale of any TV show that I have ever watched. Most shows do not know how to end, let alone well, but Flashpoint had no such problems. Most finales make me cringe and when I re-watch the show on DVD or BD I never bother with the finale, but I will definitely make an exception with Flashpoint.
The show started strong and finished stronger.
So what is so good about this show? Fundamentally it is the characters. You actually get to care about them. On top of that there is action, drama and suspense that you would expect of a police show. There is the occasional plot hole or continuity problem but quite frankly every TV show has them. In this case they do not spoil what is otherwise an outstanding TV show.
There are 75 episodes in the series. Some episodes are fairly ordinary but most of them are engaging and entertaining. The show actually improves over time, although I suspect that is a product of getting to know and care about the characters.
District 9 (2009)
This movie deserves its praise
I recently bought this movie on Blu-ray sight unseen and I am so glad I made the purchase. The faux-documentary style was a bit off-putting at first but upon reflection I think it works very very well. It is a great story that is well acted.
The CGI in the movie is incredible. The "prawns" (the derogatory name used by humans to refer to the aliens) look like they are real. Visually they are not attractive and their behaviour (by human standards) is gross, but by about half way into the movie I found myself starting to empathize with them.
This movie will captivate your attention and stir emotions in you that you would not expect possible.
Independence Day (1996)
A surprisingly entertaining movie
I remember seeing this movie at the cinema, amidst all the hype that surrounded its initial release. I left the cinema somewhat disappointed.
Some years later I came across the video and not expecting much sat down to watch it again. This time I thoroughly enjoyed it and in fact it is now one of my favourite films.
Notice that I did not say it is one of the best films. It is not. The plot is wafer thin at times and many sequences are highly improbable (such as the survival of the dog in the tunnel with the fireball). The acting is is uneven. Most of the characters are not well developed.
But it is fun. It is entertaining. The interaction between Jeff Goldblum and Will Smith is a joy to behold. It is a fun feel-good movie (despite all the death and destruction).
Ishtar (1987)
Worst movie ever made
It has been a long long time since I watched this movie and one might say that it is somewhat unfair that I post a review of it without having seen it recently. Then again, I do not need to have a lobotomy to know it is a bad idea and I do not wish to lose any more time to this abysmal movie.
I was only motivated to post after reading the inordinate number of glowing reviews about this drek. This film has no redeeming qualities at all. I cannot even ascribe to the view that it is so bad that it is funny.
A comedy should provoke laughter or at least a small giggle: the best I could manage was a groan.