cazmor Reviews

Madam Secretary: The Great Experiment (2019) Season 5, Episode 19

On the edge.

[6/10 · 2 May 2019]

One of my favourite shows, is taking a turn and is in danger of becoming very divisive, and overly liberal.

I loved the centered politics of this show, it was almost a model for how I wished politics truly worked.

However it seems that this show to is becoming caught in many of the more radical politics of the day, which in itself isn't bad if they made the storylines about combating these extremes, but it seems more and more that this show is taking a side.

Here's hoping they continue to temper this show, with the humor and drama we have come to love.

The Mummy (2017)

Better than expected

[7/10 · 19 March 2019]

I held off watching The Mummy based on the considerably bad reviews by both critics and viewers alike, but it wasn't as nearly as bad as reported.

Lets face it, the original Mummy series wasn't exactly high on the critics list either, but they were good solid comedic action films, and as far as this reboot goes it ticks the same boxes.

It was well cast with good performances from all the lead actors and with a good enough story to get us successfully to the end, interspersed with some good comedy, such as Crowe as Mr Hyde and Johnson as Vail.

Yes the CGI is somewhat lacking, with some of the worst transitions I can recall in recent memory. But the action scenes were full on, well choreographed, with Cruise yet again delivering an outstanding physical performance, and Boutella with her sensual and athletic abilities giving the best evil 'Mummy' performances in the franchise.

For a lazy Sunday flick The Mummy provides all the brain numbing action and comedy that is required.

FBI: Scorched Earth (2019) Season 1, Episode 15

A step to far

[3/10 · 19 March 2019]

As a huge fan of Missy Peregrym I was hanging in hoping for a more even keel.

Unfortunately this has taken a severe turn left and with very little tact, the show has shown that it prefers to portray a more liberal stance, but this episode has shown the most extreme so far and in doing so has soured many of the characters.

We are looking for strong characters, unfortunately the writers for this episode have portrayed what I can only think the the FBI would rather not betray, which is petty and insecure, not to say illegal, 'because we can'... seriously?

This show has turned into an 'us vs them', with unfortunately the worst characteristics of both sides shown, with horrific lines such as 'don't you dare say women aren't allowed' only make it more cringe worthy and off-hand snide lines such as 'that's the problem, it's never clear cut' isn't good enough to justify the poor attitudes.

Raise the bar, for all our sakes

FBI: Partners in Crime (2019) Season 1, Episode 13

Better than expected.

[7/10 · 18 March 2019]

I am on the fence about this series, but am interested enough to continue watching to see how it develops.

Like many other viewers I was skeptical about this episode, and in the early portions thought it was heading down a rather tedious monologue.

The story isn't great, and like a few in this series the stories are a little predictable, and we are still waiting to unravel the characters, and since it is 12 episodes so far we would rather see a bit more of that.

Is it liberal propaganda?... well.. kind-of, it is developed by Dick Wolf after all, so if you don't like the liberal slant, Wolf's work probably isn't for you. But there were a few good moments in this episode, especially at the end with both Bell questioning the motives and Valentine and his family.

I will keep watching.........

FBI (2018– )

At the moment average

[2/10 · 12 March 2019]

As a fan of crime/cop shows I was eager to binge this series out and been a fast paced series where the stories live and die inside one episode it has the makings of a binge worthy series.

So where does the 'averageness' come in, acting?.. no, yeah sure Sito yells to much, and Peregrym never seems to smile, but all in all the acting is fairly decent.

Directing? no, cinematography?... eh... no, it's a standard point and shoot series and works well.

It is the story lines, now they are not particularly bad, other than S1E5 - Doomsday, which had serious eye-rolling moments in it, no, the stories are run of the mill. And that may be the problem, they seem to running very standard almost cliche scripts, all be it some more to the liberal side, these are story lines without a twist.

This is set as a fast paced show and they are lost in the procedure of getting from one end to the other, to keep the audience captivated for anymore than one season something will need to change.

Ocean's Eight (2018)

Misses the mark

[5/10 · 6 March 2019]

What a cast, the line up is a who's who of the gorgeous and talented. Bullock, Blanchett and Hathaway go without saying, Rhanna get's better and better, with Paulson, Kaling and Awkwafina backing up the team and the doted cameo's what is not to like?!!

Well..... unfortunately..... quite a bit.

There are going to be inevitable comparisons to the other movies of that franchise, and honestly this falls far short of the mark. Where the previous had intrigue, misdirection, flamboyance, comedy, thrill, suspense and craft..... oh dear.... how this falls short.

The acting is not in question, with the talent this movie had there is no doubt, but the storyline, my goodness, Ross whom has written for movies such as 'The Hunger Games', Seabiscuit and 'The Free State of Jones', surely has the talent to come up with a script that is far more worthy of such a franchise.

It is far to one dimensional and predictable, yes there are fundamental flaws in the reality of some of the workings of the heist, but these could be overlooked inside a better script, but instead only highlights it's failings. The separate plot lines and motives, that created intersecting circles in the previous films were sorely missing here, which was the greatest loss.

With everything else, cast, cinematography, music score all in line, it is a pity that the script let it down so much.

Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)

Good solid action flick.

[9/10 · 6 March 2019]

I wasn't going to write a review, I think that with over 1400 of them we all get the point, so as much as this is a review this is thanks to everyone involved for producing a brilliant classic action film, good guys win, bad guys loose, the world is good.

There really isn't much wrong with this film, the storyline is well crafted, with enough new intrigue to keep you on the edge of your seat, whilst keeping the familiar, and a stellar returning cast for supreme continuity.

I am amazed at the athletic ability of Tom Cruise, how he can keep turning out such brilliant athletic performances is awesome. The film is also helped by outstanding performances by all the cast, including more than a cameo of Monaghan. Cavill was a great addition, as a fan of his performances in the likes of Man From Uncle, he fit in nicely. Kirby also played out of type-cast brilliantly and almost stole the show.

The only one we don't get to see is Renner due to scheduling conflicts with the Marvel series, but we live in hope to see him under this franchise again.

McQuarrie returns from Rogue Nation to direct again, and he does a superb job, the action scenes are flawless and captured vividly, but with out the hectic cinematics which have plagued so many actions films, making for an enjoyable experience rather than a headache inducing one.

The CGI is good, again, with only minor flaws and some glitchy or shall we say less than perfect transitions.

I cannot say enough how much I enjoyed the classic fast paced edge of your seat film they have created here, this series had some duds in it's middle, but this is definitely one of the best so far, and such a joy to watch.

Alex & The List (2017)

Oh dear....

[3/10 · 3 March 2019]

As a fan of both Jennifer Morrison and Karen Gillan this a serious let down, filled with never ending cliches it is slow and mostly awkward.

The script is predicatable and maddening in its slow pace, Gillan manages to outperform her character, Morrison seems lost where Fugit seems resigned to playing Alex a character of such low intelligence it's a wonder he knows which side of the bed to get out of.

The comedy is so light it misses almost every mark, with many of the scenes merely cringe worthy.

Without the performance of Gillan and small glimpses of the Morrison we love, it is hard to sit through the film in it's entirety.

Incredibles 2 (2018)

Purely enjoyable.

[9/10 · 2 March 2019]

This is what animated movies are all about, forget the fact you can take your kids to watch it, adults will be dragging them to it.

Often films that fall into the action genre can find it hard to keep it relevant when moving on from the success out of the gate. But Incredibles 2 does an incredible (insert eye roll here) job of moving the story forward and adding to an already enjoyable cast of characters.

The story is a winner, and without overly expanding the universe, this is a film that engages from beginning to end, with plenty of tummy laughter to brighten the journey.

We have a few changes with Helen taking the lead, but the real fun lies with the baby Jack-Jack stealing the show. All the main voices return with Nelson, Hunter and Jackson been the most obvious, and we are joined by some great characters in our lead villain and some new fun filled superheroes like Voyd (Sophia Bush).

Although we only got glimpses of these new superheros, we wait in anticipation of their return in future films.

But the main premise of a superhero family trying to run their 'normal' lives, whilst equally trying to find their place in the world and acceptance from family, friends and public, keeps it all relatable and filled with laughs.

Pixar have out done themselves again, the animation is for the lack of a better word flawless, aesthetically pleasing, and light, which is so pleasing to watch.

Pixar did take their time with this release, but it is worth the wait, so grab some pop-corn, put your feat up and enjoy.

Tomb Raider (2018)

Is this the start of new exciting road for Lara Croft?

[7/10 · 2 March 2019]

This reboot does a lot of things right, unfortunately the story line is a little weak and predictable, with a few tweaks this could be the start of an interesting new Tomb Raider series.

The good; our new leading (kickass) lady Virkander was a deft choice for Lara Croft, Virkander shows a depth of acting that was sorely missing in the last films, portraying all the emotions at all the right times, she transforms her character from a one dimensional being into something much more complicated, more relatable and far more enjoyable to watch.

With Wu & Goggins also joining in the foray, two exceptional actors in their own right, they cast this film remarkably well. Goggins (Justified) showed his usually exuberance as a likable villain. I did take umbrage with the fact this has been touted a feminist win, surely with Virkander acting so well, it is a win for all movie goers.

Roar Uthaug the director, little known outside his native Norway, directed this film very well, limiting the CGI to a bare minimum, keeping the action scenes purely without fuss, which is the highlight of the film. Thankfully he didn't get caught in overly complicated cinematics, which often detracts from the viewing ease.

Now for the bad and the ugly; although the acting is multi-dimensional (unusual to say of an action flick), the story was not. Flat, predictable and of a monochromatic scale and speed, it did one function which was got us from the beginning to the end. The Lara Caroft development was helped greatly by the acting, but most characters felt merely an in-fill with little opportunity for the actors to any further than the script.

There were also some holywoodized moments of eye rolling, 7 year old camcorder batteries in top condition, plummets from plans with X year old parachutes held by hand, Wolverine paced recovery. Shall we put this down to dramatic licence?

All in all, a good Sunday action flick, cast well, acted brilliantly, with engaging action scenes, hopefully a better story in the future and we may have a wining series on our hands.

Close (I) (2019)

Good B Grade Action Flick

[6/10 · 21 January 2019]

This a b-grade action flick ticks some boxes, but left to much on the table.

The main character Sam (Noomi Repace) is based on real-life female bodyguard Jacquie Davis, and is a good premise for a movie, but they failed to capitalize on what could have been a grittier, edgier story, using far to many cliche's and thread-bear plots lines.

This is most definitely Jewson's baby, whom writes, directs and produces this 'action thriller'.

Rapace acts well, as she mostly does in her films, which carries a lot for the film, boosted by fair performances of both Nelise and Varma. But no matter how good their performances the characters ultimately fail in been properly developed and the audience never really gets to connect to anyone in-particular.

The action is good and clean, with realistic 'close' quarter fight scenes, that would do justice to any action flick, however, the thriller part remained elusive. Although action was well filmed, with clear cinematography, Jewson didn't really make enough use of films location to add to the story.

A fair watch for a lazy Sunday afternoon, for a film that ultimately shoots straight down the middle.

I Am Your Father (2015)

Falling Short

[6/10 · 24 November 2018]

I am Your Father is a great premise for a documentary, but it falls fundamentally short on promises.

Director Cabota, obviously has the passion for this topic, it it well researched, directed with taste, with the cinematography a cut above your average doco.

However the overwhelming drive and expected climax of this film is the re-make of a pinnacle scene in Star Wars. Unfortunately this falls horribly short, and ultimately leaves the audience frustrated.

Although we are treated to seeing Prowes gain some recognition for his work as Darth Vader, and some keen insights into the politics behind the Star Wars franchise, but no matter how well intentioned , or skillfully crafted, this climactic disappointment taints the experience.

The Accountant (2016)

Surprisingly good.

[7/10 · 21 July 2018]

Wow.......

It is always pleasant to go into a movie with no expectations, and this one delivered in spades.

Any story starts with... well a great story, and this is it, although somewhat predictable it's more a comforting predictable, a good guy wins story with enough great twists in it to keep the interest.

The cast here lifts the game, who knew Affleck had this in him, and supported by the ever sweet Kendrick (all be it with a kick-ass moment), and throw in favorites like Simmons (Terminator Genisys) and Addai-Robinson (Shooter), all playing their respective parts well.

The scene with Affleck's and Kendrick's characters having lunch showed great subtly in writing, directing and acting. A lot of dry and subtle humor throughout.

No overdone CGI either, just good clean action, regularly punctuating the plot, with the clean cinematography only adding to clinical nature of our lead character.

For the run-of-the-mill action flick, you shouldn't pass this one up.

Star Trek: Discovery (2017–2024)

Dissapointing

[4/10 · 23 February 2018]

I have never seen such a significant amount of low rated reviews, and I share my disappointment.

I grew up with 'The Next Generation', a show started by Roddenberry, following the same narrative. What drew me to the series was adventure, sense of drive and purpose and morals of the story-lines, something that has been lost in this series.

I have waited for what seemed an eternity for the next installment of Star Trek, have followed DS9, Voyager and I probably like many had high hopes for Enterprise. So with the announcement of Discovery I held my breath hoping.

Having been inundated with 'Multi-verse' franchising, across many comics and shows, including the recent Abrams Star Trek trio, I was dubious going into this series.

Star Trek Discovery lacks the essence of what made the original series, Generations and to some extent DS9 (although darker) and Voyager great. Even to that point it is also what made the Abrams trio enticing too. The constant struggle with our own humanity, the strive for a Utopian inspired future, to better ones self and the ability to confront an conquer moral and ethical challenges.

Right out of the gate a mutiny, now for the right reasons? But written poorly, more it would seem for the characters sake and plot involvement than ethical delema.

The actors, writers and directors may indeed be trying to move this franchise in a new direction, but to what end? The writing and acting can be decidedly wooden, even for the Burnham character.

With the writing and acting often cluttered and unfocused the action scenes and CGI do a lot to lift this series, hats off to that team, they haven't missed on that note.

In the end they have changed to much to fast, leaving the essence of Star Trek behind, we can only wait to see where they take us next.

Godless (2017)

Excellent

[8/10 · 21 February 2018]

I could stop at 'excellent', it sums up almost every aspect of of this mini-series.

The series essentially follows Roy Goode and the town folk of mining town La Belle, N.M. With notorious Frank Griffin seeking revenge on Roy, he finds refuge with widower Alice Fletcher, once Griffin finds out where Roy is the town must pull together to defend itself.

Scott Frank wrote and directed this adventure, the script was deft, well thought and in the end well translated on screen. Classic western hints here, redemption, retribution and revenge, touching on so many of the other great westerns.

Cast brilliantly, there wasn't a failure among them, with Dockery, Daniels and O'connell obvious stand outs, it was also a pleasure from all the supporting roles, including Wever as Mary Agnes and Kim Coates (from another great western 'Open Range') and Erik LaRay Harvey (from Luke Cage).

The cinematography was also grand, Frank as many before him used the scenery to tell much of the story, when no words were needed he used none and to great effect.

The violence may be a bit much for some, it was vivid and at times extremely dramatic and confrontational. Some critics also sited certain relationships to be inappropriate, but for me these only further enhancing the dynamics between the characters.

In the end the story was gripping and well told, as much drama as action, pulling the audience along for the ride through every emotion. All it's accolades are well deserved, something all involved can be proud of.

Luke Cage (2016–2018)

Could have been great.

[6/10 · 18 February 2018]

I went into this show with no background as to the comic character of Luke Cage, and after the first season I was left with a sense of disappointment.

The character backstories and development were well integrated into the gritty story line, and the scene and cinematography only added to this grittiness.

But that is where the good stuff ended, although the dialogue wasn't fussed, it was often flat and uninspiring, much the same as many of the action scenes.

To often the choreography of the action felt comic almost staggered, I half expected to see "Boom" or "Kaplow" blazoned across the screen.

The acting in general was good, with Colter and Woodard as standouts, fitting neatly into their characters. However the character Shades was not so much, almost laughable at times, with Rossi seemingly over-acting the part.

The other failing in characters was the villain, who was it? It was not well defined, with little challenge to Luke, it ended feeling messy, and the episodes drew out.

By the end of season one, we had gone around in circles, with the good-guys having paid a heavy price, and the villains seemingly one step ahead. With no second season to provide definitive answers yet, the only place to draw out answers is in 'The Defenders'. Hopefully season 2 can pick up it's game, as this has the basis for an interesting show.

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Excellent

[8/10 · 28 January 2018]

The original Blade Runner although not unanimously received upon release has grown into a cult mega star, one of the first DVD releases sort of says it all.

Many critics have waned in the light of the sequels and spin-offs that are been pumped out, but here with this cult classics sequel there is a lot to like.

The combination of Villeneuve's direction and the actors performances is a pleasure to watch. Gosling should be proud of his performance, going beyond stoic, the one scene of emotional outburst the pinnacle of his performance. Hoeks as Luv was another standout, an excellent counterpart to Gosling's K, even Bautista's cameo lifted the whole performance.

With the return of Ford and Olmos grounding the movie in the original, the true surprise was the awe inspiring return cameo of Rachael, with a combination of actress Loren Petra and stunning visual effects is one of the greatest CG achievements I can recall of late.

Villeneuve's direction, visual backdrops and cinematography, although with much more muted tones than the original, stayed true to form. It didn't have the impact or awe as the original but that been said we have been inundated with visually demanding films from the original to now.

The plot is similar in pretense to the original, more of an extension than original screenplay, creating the feeling of an ongoing battle, be that good or bad.

We certainly were not bogged down in dialogue, with good action scenes, reasonable character development and an uncluttered timeline. However this time round the punch and depth didn't appear, nor does this critic feel pulled into the story line as the original so aptly achieved.

All in all an excellent film, one that all involved can be proud of and one the viewers can enjoy, as a fan of the original or not.

The Foreigner (I) (2017)

Compelling Action Thriller

[7/10 · 27 January 2018]

I watched this film based on the reviews here at IMDB, and the 7/10 score it currently holds is well deserved.

As a fan of Jackie Chan I welcomed another movie of his and certainly in a role that breaks the stereotypical for him.

Although the the general plot is a tried a true one of revenge of a loved one, government conspiracy with retired special forces, the screen play was deft, with some lighter tones but overall the dialogue was timely with good character development and punctuated regularly with good actions scenes.

All of this helped with an excellent cast, hats off to both Chan and Brosnan, with Chan playing this more dramatic role convincingly.

I would recommend this movie to anyone looking for a solid Action Thriller.

Bright (I) (2017)

Better than expected

[6/10 · 16 January 2018]

At the time of this writing Bright has a 6.5/10 on IMDB, and I think that is about spot on.

I went into watching this film with low expectations, but was pleasantly surprised, now this certainly isn't a masterpiece, but for a rainy afternoon it hits many of the right ques.

Been a fan of Will Smith's for many years, from Fresh Prince, through Independence day, Bad Boys and Men in Black (well... at least the first two), and after a couple of dud rounds, this suited his style much more, not his greatest but fun to watch.

Joel Edgerton as Jackoby was brilliant, his on screen rapport with Smith played out well and he has good comedic timing.

This action flick really mashed together a lot of genres, for the most part it worked well. Some of the hostility towards the Orc's was a little over done in the first half, but cooled by the later.

The actions scenes were well choreographed and paced nicely, with the CGI adding in without been over the top, and ticked all the action boxes.

One IMDB user summed it up well "good, but could have been better". So as long as you don't take it too seriously this film is worth a go.

Star Trek Beyond (2016)

Split Decision

[7/10 · 2 October 2016]

Although not a Trekky, I am a fan of Star Trek, though my heart lies with The Next Generation, so I eagerly await each release.

I am interested in the reviews, it appears a love or hate relationship, if you are a purest this may not be what you are after but if you are a general fan or just like action flicks then you will find all you are looking for.

Character development, it seems the catch phrase for describing movies now, I certainly hope that is not the only criteria we base our reviews on, especially not this one. The major issue I see is that we know these characters, in some terms intimately and we compare bitterly any deviation.

Not only do we mark down any non-prescribed character interaction, we resist any new character that could impact the coalescence of the original crew.

Yet no mention of touch screens? Where did all the giant buttons, knobs, levers etc go? No comment? . . .

No a direct comparison is not possible, nor warranted, it is after all a different Star Trek universe to that which we knew.

The movie has merit, the characters are well defined, the action scenes are impressive and the plot although it some instances predictable (when were they not?) carried along at a good pace.

So the villain was less than? OK, it was not a giant snowflake in the sky, or an all omnipotent being raining down fire and brimstone, but a man, just a man can have just as devastating effect, as many of the Star Trek stories have shown.

I think where these movies could improve is the foundation of Star Trek, the moral stories cloaked as the 'Prime Directive', they challenge us a little more than just the end of a gun.

I like these varied characters and the new ones that Pegg and Jung have created, there is still comedy here, Quinto and Urban bring a new life to Spoke and McCoy one I enjoy greatly, the essence is still played well and it makes for great action scenes.

Even with its foibles I hope these continue, I eagerly await the next.

Mechanic: Resurrection (2016)

What do you want in an action movie?

[6/10 · 2 October 2016]

A lot of reviewers are looking for the next what? . . Jason Bourne . . . Matrix . . . Die Hard?

If you are only looking for a truly engrossing plot, compelling character development, supreme cinematography then this movie is not for you. In fact, action movies are probably not for you.

If you are looking for a good guy wins, bad guy looses, easy to digest, wet Sunday no-brainer then this movie ticks all those boxes.

Yes the plot has holes in it, and the characters are rather underdeveloped, and where there is dialogue it is really only there to get us from one action scene to another.

This is true to the essence of action movies, it has good action, tepid one-liners, all the ones who should die do, and all the ones who should live do.

Good enough for my slow Sunday brain to keep up with.

Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)

Resurgence? I think not. . .

[3/10 · 30 September 2016]

With a budget like $165 million you would expect the visual effects not to disappoint, and they sure didn't, certainly not as ground breaking as the original, but they played well on the big screen.

However it was everything else that faltered, one critic nailed it with "boring" and that my fellow movie goers sums it up neatly.

If you take away the special effects in the original 1996 Independence Day, there was a wonderful combination of characters, characters you grew with, you laughed at their bad jokes, you felt the sorrow at their loss, and triumph in their victory.

The original had a wonderful blend of action and comedy, severely lacking in this Resurgence sequel. It is almost as if they had a few left over lines, jokes and scenes that didn't quite make the cut in the first to be regurgitated here.

The story fumbled along the way, the dialog was dreadful, the delivery was dead flat as was the emotional ride, the whole movie felt jerky and pieced together.

You get my point . .

They had a great premise to build on, and as a fan of aliens attack I feel cheated that they couldn't make a better go of it.

What is the antonym for resurgence . . . boring . . ?

The Magnificent Seven (2016)

Almost Magnificent

[6/10 · 30 September 2016]

A remake of a remake. . .

I like many am a fan of the first remake, John Sturges 1960 classic, and as its modern counterpart it also was a star packed line-up.

Going into this film it is hard not to directly compare, but then with the title and premise how could one not, and as a fan of overall westerns I was only to eager.

The cast certainly promised a lot, but as is often the case in having so much talent sardine'd in not all are given the screen time to shine.

Denzel did a fine job of his leading role as Sam Chisolm, and I enjoyed Pratt's lively portrayal of Farraday as a drunken gambler, and although I am fans of Hawke and D'Onofrio, they like Byhuing and Peter Sarsguard had Cameo appearances at best, though Sarsgauard did a wonderful job of the villain, cold and sadistic.

The filmography was excellent, shot in what I consider the essence of westerns, as much about the surroundings as the people, still wide scenery shots, slow wide pans, and many through frame shots, truly a fine job.

But all of this could not detract from a film that slightly exceeded its grasp, even with excellent action scenes, adequately restrained, something was off, as well timed as the screenplay was, there is little to no character development, we are left with the characters almost as we meet them, casual introductions.

If I had never seen the original Magnificent Seven? Is this for the current generation? Does it stand on it's own?

Unfortunately no, the Seven Samurai and the 1960's Magnificent Seven have more than stood the test of time, Antoine Faqua made a valiant effort here, just not a magnificent one.

Madam Secretary (2014–2019)

Good Premise

[6/10 · 8 July 2016]

Clearly not been from the USA some of the nuances of the politics elude me, by the premise of the show is sound, I agree that it would be better if it was clearer whether it was liberal or conservative, adding a bit more bite to the show. Tea Leoni fills the capacity rather well, enjoying her character the most whilst doing her 'smack down' on other dignitaries, how I wish that politics was handled more in this way than any other. It is obviously hard to convey all the struggles that play out in any given situation in just one episode, but maybe some more double headers could add depth. However the show conveys a different aspect of US politics through the eyes of their head diplomat rather than that of the president, it probably includes areas outside their strictest roles, but in general provides for easily digestible political drama.