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Reviews
Leave the World Behind (2023)
Poor execution
Christopher Nolan should have done this film, I feel like he would have done it more justice than Esmail, and actually made it interesting. I understand the movie, I understand the ending, I understand what each character was to represent...it just was not executed well at all. I give it a 4 for the acting and the intent...but the writing was incredibly elementary for such a "heavy" film. It seemed very disjointed at times like when you're talking to someone that has so much running their heads that they think they are saying because they hear it inside as they're talking, but it's not what's actually coming out of their mouth so you tell them to slow down and gather their thoughts first, then try again...this movie felt like that.
Also, I don't understand how people say they don't understand as Mahershala's character tells us what he overheard a client saying was coming, the message on the screen in the bunker tells us what just happened and that people should seek shelter because of it, and then we hear on a radio that is inexplicably functioning all of a sudden, about what's happening in NYC. So we know how the movie ended, it was probably missed by so many because it was so anti climactic and did seem to just stop.
Perhaps people also think the daughter has more significance than she actually does, and the movie actually set it up that way so I get it. But she was no different than any other character that represented some part of society...hers was the people so caught up in pop culture and themselves, their own superficial needs and wants, caring about nothing else as the world around them literally explodes. That they ended the movie with her and her gross eating scene should have meant something more to the storyline, but it doesn't. And that's just another reason why I feel Esmail ruined this film trying to be cerebral but missing the mark.
We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
What A Disappointment
This movie tried to be much more than it actually was. The acting was great but that's the only thing good I can really say about it. They tried to be smart and add some depth to an all too familiar story, they just didn't succeed with telling a good story. In fact, there was no story really...Kevin was born evil, the mother was overwhelmed with him, the father was ridiculously obtuse, and the town hated her personally as if she hadn't lost everything herself. That was the first 15 min and then you never got more than this for the rest of the movie as it literally went nowhere and made no point. What a waste of time. Oh, and no part of this was a Thriller, the only reason I watched.
Oppenheimer (2023)
Disappointing Nolan
Having seen every single one of Nolan's films and considering him the G. O. A. T. I've been waiting for this movie for over a year. Sadly, I was left incredibly underwhelmed. It started slow and boring and stayed here pretty much the whole movie. There was nothing compelling that happened at all. I know it's as a biopic, but this is Nolan...and where some criticize Tenet for doing too much, he did far too little here. I did not feel emotionally connected to any of the characters, they did not develop the conflict he was alleged to have felt, it was so difficult to understand the actors at times due to low speaking, poor accents and ridiculously loud bursts of music and sound, and it was about 45-60 minutes too long with dialogue in many places that not progress the storyline in any substantive way nor was it interesting. The only thing that kept me awake as long as I did was that the movie jumps around between around 3-4 different time periods while telling Oppenheimer's story. But you could spend 30 min on Google and get the same information you get from this movie or watch any of then various documentaries out there and get more excitement.
Was this a bad movie? No, not in the least. But the hype around this movie centered on 3 things: 1) Nolan, 2) His take on Oppenheimer, and 3) The start studded cast. Only the latter delivered, and having seen the movie I now understand why so many A and well liked B list actors were needed.
Grand Crew (2021)
It finally hit its stride...
The 1st episode left me feeling "eh". The writing was below average imo, but I loved the concept and that Hollywood finally allowed for a show where the characters weren't caricatures.
The 2nd episode was better but I still felt the show was missing something and I didn't know what exactly. But I wanted to keep on in the hopes that it got better. And I'm glad I did as bit by bit, it steadily began to improve. By S1E7 I found myself enjoying it and glad I stuck and stayed, albeit I still wouldn't levy any heavy praise on it.
But then I got to Season 2, and the series became magnificent! The writing was much better, the storylines felt more cohesive, there was far more character depth, and it was hilarious!!! But NBC did what NBC notoriously does and canceled it just as it was hitting its stride. They've done the same with several series over the decades, making the decisions too early into shows finally finding their way. Given NBC did an abysmal job with marketing as neither I nor most of my peers heard of this show until just before or after it was already cancelled, you'd think they'd look at ways to increase viewership Vs giving up on it. This is sad tho, I hope there's a chance it's picked up by another platform. But Season 2 ended in such a way that it wrapped everything up so you won't feel like the series left you hanging if you're tuning in late like I was.
Law & Order: Organized Crime: With Many Names (2023)
Whoa!
I loved this 4 part cross over event with SVU. Great story, great writing, great acting. The villain was just downright diabolical. This could have been a 10 star episode if not for the direction they took this. I'm hoping Whelan's character was killed off because he wanted to leave the show for other opportunities because if this was the shows decision...HUGE MISTAKE! He was one of my fav characters in all the shows so I cried like a baby when I saw he was paralyzed as I knew where they were going to go with this, and cried again when it actually happened. This is a big loss, I get the sense they don't realize how liked Whelan was. I guess we shall see.
Next Level Chef (2022)
Love it!
I don't usually like cooking shows. I love to cook so everyone tells me I should watch this or that show but they always bore me. This one however has more of the competition and intensity of some of the competition reality shows and that exact element is what had me sold last season. I couldn't wait for the new season to start and this one is even better!
As for some of the other reviews, yes the mentor knows who cooked the dishes from their own teams during the main round, but the other judges do not know who cooked which dishes from the other teams. So those claiming it's fixed because the judges know who cooked what are not being entirely truthful. Also, during the elimination round, the mentor of the two chefs in the elimination round do not know which chef cooked which dish. Only the mentor whose team IS NOT in the elimination round knows who cooked what. Mentors have voted for the dish of their own teammate to be eliminated not realizing they were doing so, so again, claims the show is fixed based on this are untruthful as well.
It's a great show from a cooking perspective as well as just a great all around competition reality show even if cooking shows aren't usually your thing. I absolutely love it for that reason.
Creed II (2018)
Boring and Predictable
This movie bored me to tears. I ended up FFing to the last 10-15 min and it ends exactly how you'd think it would. I'm not so sours when I've seen a more predictable movie. And the story of the movie is just ridiculously boring, lame and shallow, the writers should have to answer for his this got so bad. And MBJ is just not a good actor... he's not the worst, but he definitely can't act. How this movie is rated over 7 here and how it keeps getting more movies after this is beyond me. I really liked the first one a lot when it came out but remember having zero interest in seeing this one, I wasn't wrong. I only watched in anticipation of Creed 3 because of Jonathan Majors and his amazing performance in Ant Man Quantumania...I'm hoping he can salvage what otherwise should be a dying franchise.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
Enjoyable
Let's start with the con, the story. It could have and should have been so much more. They had a great idea, but the writers seemingly lacked the creativity and depth to really take this to its potential. I'm beginning to believe my comic book fan brother who for years has said the MCU is geared toward children as these last two phases for sure just don't seem to tackle their stories with any depth or coherency to them.
But the pros...Jonathan Majors not only landed this role but delivered more than I had expected. With different writing I feel even he could have been more but with what he had to work with, he gave us so much...definitely one of the best performances in the MCU. I like this Cassie better than the Endgame Cassie, Altho I hate how the latter learned she wouldn't be returning. And the ants are unsung heroes of this franchise once again.
All in all, it was an enjoyable film, worth seeing for sure.
Shotgun Wedding (2022)
Terrible Trash
This is one of the most infuriating movies I've ever seen. I like Jennifer Lopez and can usually tolerate her acting, but the writing for this was sooooo bad that you almost wish the pirates would kill her character, revive her and then kill her agsin. And Josh Duhamel I love, have loved him in every role I've seen him play going back to Leo Dupree on AMC, but he constantly did stupid things as well. I don't know when I've ever rooted against lead characters in a romantic comedy as much as I have with this movie. I am only giving it a 3 because I like that it was different take on a romcom otherwise this movie sucked!
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
Could have been butt if....
And no that's not a misspelling lol....what a ridiculously stupid storyline that added absolutely no value to the film. If not for that it could have been higher rated. Good movie with a lot of amazing themes that they tackled well..themes about family and how we treat people...definitely much needed and much appreciated.
Waymond is my fav character and Quan portrays him in spectacular fashion. Yeoh did a good job as well. I'm still wondering how I made it 9 months never having heard of this movie but I guess not much budget was made available for marketing.
...but it's not Best Picture worthy.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Gimme Shelter - Part Two (2022)
Terrible!
What is wrong with this episode? Let me count the ways...
This was the 1st part of a 3 parter whose writing got increasingly worse. It was so bad, the scenarios so contrived, the dialogue so ridiculous, that I came here specifically to see who wrote these and if they had done any other L&O episodes. I had a good hunch they had not as no episodes have ever been written this poorly before, and I was write. I surely hope she they are never allowed to write another.
And when did IMDb start this 600 character review requirement? I couldn't post the above as is because I needed to add another 132 characters. So here you go. Smh.
Law & Order: Organized Crime: Gimme Shelter - Part One (2022)
Terrible!
What is wrong with this episode? Let me count the ways...
This was the 1st part of a 3 parter whose writing got increasingly worse. It was so bad, the scenarios so contrived, the dialogue so ridiculous, that I came here specifically to see who wrote these and if they had done any other L&O episodes. I had a good hunch they had not as no episodes have ever been written this poorly before, and I was write. I surely hope she (Gwen ___) is never allowed to write another.
And when did IMDb start this 600 character review requirement? I couldn't post the above as is because I needed to add another 132 characters. So here you go. Smh.
The Adam Project (2022)
Better than that 6.7 suggests...
I almost didn't watch this because people were so hard on it but I sure am glad that I did. Time travel is my fav genre but this was so much more, I truly enjoyed it.
The Greatest Showman (2017)
What an absolute joy!!!
I love musicals, it's my second fav genre behind sci-fi, but I tend not to be a fan of the newer ones, preferring the classics with Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Leslie Caron, Ginger Rogers, CID Charisse, et al. So when this came out I promptly dismissed it. It was only at the persistent urging of a another dan of the movie that I finally decided to watch. And WOW.... JUST WOW! Great songs, dancing, storytelling...I utterly and completely underestimated this movie. I will most certainly be watching this again. Incredibly entertaining!
Hawkeye (2021)
Finally...a winner!
This is the best tv show of the recent Marvel bunch! Good story, acting, development...definitely kept my interest through each episode. Jeremy Renner wins again!
Are You Here (2013)
Just bad
I'd never heard of this before so I didn't have any expectations. It was on late night and I just didn't change the channel. I wish I had. What a complete waste of times. Acting was decent enough but there was far too much attempted to be tackled in this movie, some storylines were unbelievable, and the ending was stupid.
The Woman in the Window (2021)
So Dumb
This movie was terrible. Every single character was written poorly, each were stupid. There was not one likable in the whole movie. How did this garbage get approved???
The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
Wish the ending were better
It was "ok", if you dull your expectations, up to the very last clip at the end. It's like Whedon just gave up. Lol.
Florence Foster Jenkins (2016)
Sing Like No One Is Listening
Was so surprised by how much I enjoyed this movie! I only watched for Meryl, and she delivered as usual, giving us such a sympathetic character in Florence. I cheered for her every time she performed as well. And each of the supporting cast were remarkable as well. So glad I tuned in.
Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969)
Still Just As Funny
I had watched this as a little kid because my mom was very much into westerns. I remember laughing and liking it but being so young (single digits) I couldn't remember much about it and decided to watch again last year. Within minutes I was calling my mom to tell her how I was already laughing hysterically. This movie still delivers on the comedy in such a great way. A terrific cast with faces I recognized from seeing them in more modern movies, like a young Bruce Dern. This has definitely stood the test of time. A classic!
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: Truth (2021)
Great Episode!
I loved it...the commentary, the set up for the final episode, seeing Falcon in a light now. As for those claiming it was too political...ummmm, isn't this a spin off from Captain America fighting against Germans...yeah, nothing political in that at all. Smh We see, and we see your coded language...
Too Political=I'm uncomfortable with a show telling the truth and not retelling things to display me and people who look like me in the most favorable light.
Boo-Hoo...Get over it!
Contact (1997)
Same As I Remember
I saw this in the theaters in 1997 and remember thinking it wasn't anywhere near as good as people claimed. Decided to watch again today to see if my opinion would change, it did not. It's not a bad movie, just not a good one. And it's just unnecessarily long, and often boring. There are so many better movies of this type out there.
Le Cinquième Élément (1997)
What Movie Did Y'all Watch???
...Because what I just watched was absolute GARBAGE! Other than Chris Tucker, there was not redeeming thing about this movie...but while funny, he was way too extra for a SciFi and should have turned down that clown of a roll. For all those remarking in the colors, yes they were vibrant but is that all a movie needs now?...to be like a book with pictures? Godtgis was awful!
The Way We Were (1973)
Beautifully Sad
A superb movie about what happens when two people love people love each other (noun) but can't figure out how to love each other (verb). Absolutely loved Streisand and Redford in this, my fav movie of either of theirs for me.
Don't Let Go (2019)
I wanted to love it...
....but the characters were written to do some of the most stupid, most ridiculous things. And because the writers made thing obvious that should have at least been questioned by the characters, it made the movie predictable. I didn't hate it, I was just annoyed by it in several places. The writing killed what could have been a really good movie.