Johnny-113 Reviews

The Wrong Missy (2020)

The Wrong Missy Missed

[3/10 · 15 May 2020]

I was looking forward to seeing this because I loved "The Do-Over" and Adam Sandler films, but this was very bad. Missy is such an annoying gross character that it's impossible to believe anyone would not find her revolting. Her character is such an extreme mess that there's no way she could suddenly become appealing. Melissa was an attractive mature and more desirable character from the beginning of the film to the end of the film. Missy remained disgusting throughout.

The producers should have cut out all of the sex jokes and just made it a ridiculous comedy for kids under the age of 6. That would have been their only hope. This was a big disappointment.

The Comedian (III) (2016)

Huge miss...

[3/10 · 30 September 2018]

This film's audience should have been an older crowd, but Hackford felt he had to try to be edgy and current by making Deniro's character a shocking and filthy comedian. Unfortunately, aside from the filthy comedy, the rest of the film felt like it was directed by an out of touch yuppie director, so it felt disconnected. Even Hackford's recreation of video gone viral felt inauthentic and created by someone's grandfather. Hackford is so out of touch, it's embarrassing.

Deniro was great except for the time he was performing comedy in the film. Even the well written jokes failed when delivered by him because he is not funny. I didn't buy him as a comedian at all. It looked like he was reading his jokes from cue cards.

This film was uncomfortable to watch because it was so bad.

Rules Don't Apply (2016)

Flawed Narrative

[5/10 · 1 January 2017]

I'm surprised that Warren Beatty returned to directing after almost 20 years with another film about a disturbed man who is falling apart. Even more, why make another Howard Hughes film? You'd learn more about Hughes by watching the Tommy Lee Jones film or "The Aviator." Mr. Beatty was trying to be contemporary with the editing of the film (4 editors by the way) by cutting away from a scenes abruptly that were starting to get interesting.

The pace of the romance between the two lead characters was uneven and thus hard to believe. The costumes, production design, cinematography and much of the acting was great, but the narrative was confusing. There was a lot of interesting quirkiness and style, but because the point of view was scattered, it was hard to really get to know the characters.

The Infiltrator (2016)

Derivative Wooden Film

[4/10 · 19 November 2016]

This is like a poor man's Donnie Brasco. It was cliché. It was expected. Things developed too quickly because of a mediocre edit. Cranston is always great, but his performance couldn't save this doomed film. This felt like a cliff notes version of a real film because the screenplay was poor.

All of the actors were very good, but it was a story not worth telling. We've seen this story before, but it was told much better every time. Everything was on the surface. The characters were unidimensional and wooden. Perhaps, the director should see a film like, Sicario and learn from that.

This was all style and no substance.

The Revenant (I) (2015)

Ridiculous, Too Simple

[4/10 · 2 January 2016]

This was a huge disappointment. An event happens in this film that is completely unbelievable. It is a key component of the plot and it is absolutely unrealistic. I became disengaged after this huge mistake. Aside from that, this is a very basic boring film with a plot that has been seen over and over again in film history. The cinematography was excellent as was all of the acting, but that's not enough to make a great film. If the plot is hackneyed, then great acting and camera work can't save it.

I was stunned by the music - in a bad way. Is challenging music dead? The producers took a risk of having the audience barely understand most of the dialogue, but they don't trust viewers with challenging music?

What will people remember about this film? They will remember all of the hype about how the crew filmed in freezing locations. Suffering does not make a film good.

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)

All hype - no substance * warning spoilers

[4/10 · 20 December 2015]

I believe that people think this film is good because they have convinced themselves that it must be. Hardcore "Star Wars" fans are so in love with these characters that just seeing them interact with each other is enough to say the film is amazing. This film is far from amazing.

The story is very basic, boring and far from challenging. The Lord Of The Rings films were far more challenging and interesting. It's hard to believe that "Finn" would have the motivation and courage to do what he did. There was barely a subplot. It doesn't make sense that Hans Solo's son would have any need to put on an act and cry in order to trick his father and kill him. It doesn't make any sense.

There was no chemistry between Princess Leia and Hans Solo. I felt sorry for both actors because their performances were so wooden. The comedy was mostly expected and dumb. I cringed when Hans Solo called Finn, "Big Deal."

Visually, it was incredible because of the use of miniatures instead of relying solely on CGI. Unfortunately, this is not a painting. It is a film. It needed a better story and performances.

Aloha (I) (2015)

Good film

[6/10 · 30 August 2015]

The most I heard about this movie was that many people were horrified that Emma Stone was playing a Hawaiian woman. Well, in the film she's playing a woman who is one-quarter Hawaiian. That IS believable. That kind of criticism is petty. If you look at film history, there have been far more outrageous incidents of this type of casting.

I liked this film because I didn't really know where it was going, so it was interesting and not predictable. There are a few very funny moments. There are some very touching moments. It's a thoughtful film, so it puzzles me when other one note idiotic comedies, horror and actions film are deemed successful because they made a lot of money and entertained morons.

I intend to see this again. I recommend it.

Trainwreck (2015)

I liked it

[7/10 · 7 August 2015]

When I first saw, "This if 40," I really didn't like it, but over time, I discovered that I loved it! I think one must watch Apatow's films a few times to really soak them all up. I liked "Trainwreck," but didn't love it. I'm hoping I'll like it more after I've seen it a few times. It was very obvious that some of the jokes just didn't work. Some of the scenes didn't work well enough. The intervention scene was clunky, contrived and sophomoric. I think Apatow could have done a polish on the screenplay to improve it a little. I love his long films, but this is the first time where I think he should have cut down the length.

Lebron James was funny. During his first scene, his acting was pretty wooden and made me uncomfortable, but it got better as the film progressed. Amy Schumer and Bill Hader were excellent. I think this is Colin Quinn's best performance ever. I didn't realize that Tilda Swinton was in the film until the credits. She was excellent as well.

This was not a train wreck of a film, but it did need some tightening up and extra thought.

Welcome to Me (2014)

Learn about Borderline Personality

[6/10 · 19 July 2015]

This is a great educational tool to learn about Borderline Personality. Emptiness, selfishness, fear of abandonment, attaching to people instantly, not validating others' feelings, sexual promiscuity, paranoia, rapid cycling. Kristin Wiig is excellent in this serious role.

I hope many people see this film because Borderline Personality Disorder is greatly misunderstood. Wiig's performance is definitely NOT a caricature of BPD. I've known borderlines with symptoms far worse than displayed in this film.

This is a drama and it's very real. It's nice that it has moments of levity, but see it to get educated.

Terminator Genisys (2015)

Not Good

[5/10 · 2 July 2015]

I was entertained, but this was not a good film. The visual effects were very impressive but this film didn't succeed because it was not well directed or acted (with the exception of Jason Clarke and J.K. Simmons). I was surprised to learn that Alan Taylor has been working successfully as a director. It's apparent that his forte is not working with actors. Emilia Clarke and Jai Courtney delivered unprofessional, wooden and uninspired performances for most of the film. Schwarzenegger was very funny. It was obvious he was reading directly from cue cards in many scenes, but it's OK because he was supposed to be robotic.

The story was very interesting, but Taylor didn't pull it off. If this film had been directed by a more talented director, it could have been a great. Loud music and amazing special effects didn't fool the audience into thinking this film was on the same level as Terminator 1 or 2. The acting was embarrassingly bad and the director was miscast.

Blended (2014)

Great

[7/10 · 25 March 2015]

Many people don't like Adam Sandler, but he's the master of making feel good romantic comedies for all ages. I'm an adult and was really elevated after seeing his film. There's a laugh on every page and all of the acting was great. It doesn't matter that a lot of his films have a similar structure. He delivers most of the time.

Movies are a vehicle to escape the real world. Who wound't want to be part of that family and have it resolve the way it did? It really gave me a nice break from my reality. Drew Barrymore and Sandler always have great chemistry. The music was perfect. The cinematography made me want to travel to Africa!

It's always nice to see Sandler cast his friend of many years in movie after movie. It's evident, he is a loyal guy. I didn't expect to like this film that much, but really enjoyed it. It's a simple premise, but Adam Sandler is a one of a kind. He is unique. Bravo.

Whiplash (2014)

Flawed and Flashy SPOILERS

[4/10 · 5 February 2015]

What a wooden film. As a viewer, you cannot really get to know any of these characters. Nothing great comes from an abusive teacher. Hitting student in the face, really? No. It was unclear what JK Simmons' character really was after. Was it perfection? Is the only way to achieve perfection by humiliating students with verbal and physical abuse? The drumming was excellent. I'm a musician and I've never heard of students bleeding all over their drums. It's ridiculous. The only thing JK Simmons' character cared about was tempo. Talk about unidimensional. He crucified students only if they couldn't determine his tempo after a few beats. What about dynamics? What about interacting with the band? The script was superficial and lacking. People probably like this film because Simmons was an interesting character and the drumming was interesting. You'd think such a brilliant teacher would be a more impressive jazz pianist - another boring scene.

Labor Day (2013)

Very unexpected and good

[8/10 · 7 January 2015]

I assumed this film was not going to be good because it didn't gather much attention, but I was really surprised. It had great performances by the main characters. Reitman has shown us again that he's a versatile storyteller and director. The cinematography was gorgeous. The score was emotional without being too heavy handed. My only complaint is that the actress who played the young girl gave a slightly wooden performance. It was a bold move for Jason Reitman to make a small emotional film instead of just trying to go bigger and bigger by making the next blockbuster. He didn't have much success with "Young Adult," and I applaud him for not selling out and making a 100 million dollar movie to revive his career. It's such an emotional film and would make a great play as well. I highly recommend it.

Spring Breakers (2012)

Total Failure

[3/10 · 19 August 2014]

A wooden, shallow sophomoric film that has no meaning. Harmony has made amazing films in the past, but this was terrible. What's the message? Nothing. If it ain't on the page, it ain't gonna be on the screen, i.e. the screenplay was terrible and pointless. This was story not worth telling. What did we learn? Nothing. It looked good and had a cool soundtrack. James Franco acted well, but it's just a stupid awful film.

Was it really worth murdering people and dealing with the scum of the earth so that these college girls could travel and see something new? No. This was a terrible concept. We never got to know any of the characters. If this had been directed by a no name director, everyone would have said it was a disaster, but because Harmony's name is attached to it, many people think it's brilliant.

It had very little substance. It doesn't challenge the audience at all. If this is the way films are headed, I think I'll stop watching films. I could go on and on because all I have are criticisms. This film is not cool. It's a poorly conceived waste of time.

Charlie Countryman (2013)

Basic Problem

[4/10 · 3 May 2014]

This was well executed, especially for a first time director. The performances were good and I'm not a Shia fan. He surprised me and I thought he was very good. The problem is: This was not a story worth telling. The screenplay was so basic and boring. What is interesting about his movie? Not much. The cinematography, music and editing were all nice but everyone should have passed on this screenplay. What's the theme? Love conquers all? I didn't feel the bond between the two lead characters. The story was all over the place and just not complex enough. It had a subplot just for the sake of having a subplot. It was not a terrible film, just one that didn't have much content.

American Hustle (2013)

Awful

[4/10 · 31 December 2013]

This movie was terrible. It was too long, confusing, boring, poorly directed and poorly written. The pace was all over the place. It was a poor man's Scorsese. Christian Bale did a Robert Deniro ripoff. The actors should have been reigned in by the director, but were given too much freedom. I'm surprised that the film has made so much money, but that doesn't mean it's a good film. It's a film that COULD have been great, but it failed in almost every way.

David O. Russell was trying to be Martin Scorsese: (1) Christian Bale was doing a Deniro imitation (2) Same narration style as many of Scorsese's films (3) Mob/Casino theme (4) Out of control wife and mistress (5) Similar music supervision style (such a Scorsese ripoff, it's embarrassing)

The cinematography was unfocused! Sometime the camera would pan slightly for no reason. Most of the actors' East Coast accents were borderline cartoonish. I suspect (and hope) that a lot of the dialog was improvised because it was distracting, slowed down the film and didn't help propel the storyline. Where were the producers? They should have demanded rewrites and a better edit. I can't believe this film was released this way. If this foreshadows the future quality of films, I'm going to stop watching films. In the hands of a different director, this could have been good.

This is a contender for the Oscars? It's all vapid hype! This film deserves no awards.

Deniro and Lous C.K's performances were very good, but not good enough to make me think the film was worth watching. I'd heard from others that the film was bad, but I didn't expect it to be TERRIBLE.

Salinger (2013)

Excellent! A must see for Salinger fans...

[8/10 · 23 September 2013]

This is a fantastic documentary. I read the new book, "Salinger" a week prior and still thoroughly enjoyed the documentary. While there is more information in the book, the documentary provided all the emotion that is hard to derive from a book. It was amazing to see footage of Salinger that had never been released. This is not a one sided portrayal of the author. The film makers successfully show his attributes and weaknesses. None of the interviews were superfluous. The music was gorgeous. I've read criticism about the reenactments of Salinger typing in his room. I thought they were very appropriate and not overused. Errol Morris had many more reenactments in "The Thin Blue Line," but that, too was an excellent documentary. I had HIGH hopes about his documentary when I heard it was going to be released and I was not disappointed in the least.

Love, Marilyn (2012)

Very good but flawed approach

[6/10 · 5 July 2013]

This was a very good documentary. I learned a lot about MM and liked seeing old interviews with her and her friends and peers. The story, structure, music and editing were great and it was never dull. My only complaint is that I cringed many times, watching most of the actors read from Marilyn and others' letters and books. I felt that they emoted waaaaaay too much and were showing off. It felt like they agreed to recite the words or "act" for selfish reasons. It was over the top: especially Marisa Tormei, Uma Thurman and Adrian Brody. It called to much attention to the actors and was very distracting. It took me OUT of the film.

The film was about MM not these actors. At the very least, the should have been offscreen, only supplying a voice over. I suppose the director's argument would be that they were trying to convey the emotions of the subjects who had written the books, poetry, etc, but it was embarrassing and self serving. I will not see the film again for this single reason. This is a documentary. I don't want to see Hollywood actors overacting.

The Master (2012)

Amazing but fizzled

[6/10 · 21 September 2012]

All of the performances were outstanding. Both lead actors deserve Oscar nominations. The film was engaging from start to finished, visually. SPOILER ALERT

BUT, why was Lacaster so interested in Freddie? I just didn't see the appeal. I really appreciated the unique unpredictable storytelling, but it where did the story go? I see that the the Cause became very successful but why did Lancaster invest so much time in Freddie? I felt like the story needed further development and Anderson just scratched the surface.

Lancaster failed with Freddie. Why did we need to see this? I don't see how Freddie contributed to Lancaster's life or profession.

It could've been an amazing classic film but the script needed further development.

Young Adult (2011)

Why?

[6/10 · 31 March 2012]

This story is about two types of people. The first group was content with their lives. The second group wasn't. It was a well crafted film with great music, performances, editing, etc. The cinematography appropriately captured the cloudy damp mood of the town and the people, but this is a movie, not real life, so my question is: Why is this a story worth telling? Theron's character was a crazy completely selfish woman who showed no improvements by the end of the film. This happens is real life everyday, but why would we want to see a film about this? This was the overall terminal flaw in the screenplay. If Reitman's goal was to depress the viewer, he definitely succeeded with me. I think he left his game in the locker room with this film.

Drive (I) (2011)

Entertaining but flawed

[5/10 · 5 October 2011]

First of all, Ryan Gosling is no Steve Mcqueen, although he is trying to be. There are great actors who can reveal their characters without a large amount of dialogue, but Gosling is not one of these actors. I didn't buy him as the scorpion jacket wearing loner Travis Bickle type. We learned nothing about what made him become this person.

The music was completely wrong. A brooding score would have been more appropriate to underscore Gosling's character. This would have helped tell us who he really was. Instead, Cliff Martinez delivered a "Traffic" knockoff that was focused on the implausible romance between Mulligan and him. As for the 80's songs in the film, I found them offensive. I believe these filmmakers were using 80's sounding songs and 80's titles to be quirky. They probably thought it was a great idea because it's unexpected and retro, but it was inappropriate and embarrassing. Why did they do that? Albert Brooks was excellent as were many of the supporting actors. This could have been a great film, but it is not.

How Do You Know (2010)

Very good and not appreciated enough

[7/10 · 3 May 2011]

I was expecting to be very disappointed with this film because I'd heard that most people disliked it. I really really liked it. I think that audiences these days have to have a joke every 30 seconds to be entertained. Maybe audiences feel short changed if there isn't a huge obvious wrap up off the plot at the end of the film. I liked that everything wasn't black and white in the film. There are many unanswered questions. The characters' intentions and feelings weren't absolutely clear. That's what I loved about it.

It's sad that so many people disliked this film, but I think it's very courageous of James l. Brooks to write a film that pleased him and not have to pace it like most other "successful" Hollywood crap movies. This film makes you think unlike many other huge hit comedies these days.

The Social Network (2010)

An amazing piece of work!

[9/10 · 3 October 2010]

Fincher is a true original and must have a lot of power in all areas of the film process because as usual, he avoided making a "Hollywood Movie." And since it wasn't a hackneyed movie that we've seen so many times before, he made it very interesting with the help of music, sound design, manic conversations, wonderful photography. The acting is all superb. I am still amazed how multi talented Justin Timberlake is.

Jesse Eisenberg stole the show. He played a cold nerdy brilliant workaholic with nothing else on his mind. He created a character who was easily annoyed by improper questions and anything mundane.

Thank God there was no happy ending with all sides doing a group hug. This is a fascinating film with tons of facts and evidence that of which I had been grossly unaware.

Highly recommend!

Public Enemies (2009)

Awful Film

[1/10 · 6 July 2009]

This is a story not worth telling. Although well acted, it was incredibly boring from the beginning and went nowhere. The love story developed in about 2 seconds and never evolved. Mann failed to show why this couple even liked each other.

So, with a poorly developed love story, there was nothing left but the main predictable and aimless story. What do we learn from this film? Nothing. A guy has an addiction to robbing banks? This is a D- version of "Heat" but with one storyline and a shadow of a love story.

Mann thinks he's being original by having Dillinger casually walk around a section of the police department that is dedicated to tracking him down. We've seen the kind of character bravado in WAY too many films. It is no longer original. It's boring.

This was incredibly painful to watch because it dulls the mind so much. It is by far, Mann's WORST film ever.

D-

Tropic Thunder (2008)

Awful Film

[4/10 · 20 June 2009]

This film is terrible. Maybe if you're 11 years old, it's entertaining, but it was so boring and insulting to my intelligence I couldn't stand it. I tried to watch it again because it was on cable and I thought maybe I was too harsh the first time I saw it, but upon the second viewing, I was reminded of how awful it was and couldn't continue watching it.

It is impossible to believe that the Ben Stiller character is so stupid that he'd believe he and his fellow actors were being filmed by hidden cameras in the jungle. Jack Black's character had one dimension and was annoying and boring. Nick Nolte was underutilized as was Danny McBride. This is a story not worth telling. Everything is predictable and boring.

Ben Stiller is an excellent actor and should stick to acting, not directing.