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tom-nedimyer
Reviews
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
Not Bad
I've seen lots of reviews lamenting how terrible this movie is. Maybe it was good that I went into it with low expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised. It's nowhere near the quality of Raiders of the Lost Ark or The Last Crusade, but it's about the same quality as The Temple of Doom and so very much better than The Crystal Skull. There's good action, actual plot, the bad guy is realistic without being over the top; I guess my biggest issue is that Harrison Ford is definitely too old to be doing action scenes at this point. Hopefully if they keep making I. J. movies they'll move away from centering them around him.
Love Strikes Twice (2021)
Refreshing!
Hallmark movies tend to be predictable; this one is not. Also, it has a bit of something for everyone - romance, drama, time travel, awkwardness, adorableness, sneaking, sleuthing, suspense, etc.
The acting was generally done well, as were the writing and directing. They captured how love can grow stale when it's not maintained, the intimacy of close friendship, uncertainty in new situations while still diving right in and making the best of it, confidence in familiar territory, nostalgia, and so much more.
I originally didn't like most of the characters (which was intentional) but as they developed so did my concern for them (which was also the filmmakers' intent). I don't want to say more for fear of giving away anything, but I definitely recommend seeing this film!
Baelin's Route: An Epic NPC Man Adventure (2021)
Quite Good
I should start by admitting that I am not a gamer. I knew absolutely nothing about this going in.
Having said that, this is quite well-done, especially for being a low-budget, crowd-funded production. It immerses the viewer in a gaming world, easily identifying players vs NPCs. I liked how they even made the dialogue work, with NPCs only able to say their predetermined lines yet hearing/understanding what was meant when those same words were said with a different tone (like "I am Groot" in those other movies).
I'll admit that some of Baelin's character development happened quickly, but with time & fiscal restraints that's understandable.
I would have loved to see this as a full-length feature; I wish I had known about it so I could've donated to the crowd-funding.
Nice day for fishin'!
Evangelion Shin Gekijôban: Jo (2007)
Nothing Here to Like
I'm not sure why this movie has so many good reviews - maybe because people liked the original show and this brought back some nostalgia? It didn't make me care for any of the characters, the boy was really whiny, even the graphics were just ok. Also, the plot was the same as so many other movies: There's a powerful bad guy! Shoot it with everything we've got! (They do. There are big flashes of light/color.) That didn't work! Make a bigger explosion! (They do. There are bigger/longer flashes of light and color.)
There's also some nudity, including stuff between siblings. I want these two hours of my life back.
I Am Mortal (2021)
Know What to Expect
This is not an action movie. There is a lot of dialogue and not much that is fast-paced. If you want a heart-pounding thriller, you will be disappointed.
The movie also presents the main idea fairly early on and then spends the rest of the movie developing the plot and exploring some of the nuances of that main idea. Don't expect too many sharp twists and turns.
For a low-budget movie, I was actually quite impressed at how easily I was able to lose myself in the story (as opposed to thinking "This looks like the set was cobbled together with parts from the junkyard," which some movies seem to be). I liked how part of that accessibility was how natural all the actors & actresses were; instead of an unnaturally-Hollywood-gorgeous-pencil-thin cast they were all just clean, normal yet attractive people. I was also impressed that despite the low budget they were all fairly convincing actors.
Some other reviewers thought this was a Christian movie, but it is actually just a "faith vs science" thing, or even better "determinism vs free will."
All in all I definitely think this deserves a rating much higher than the 3/10 that it shows at the moment. I've seen some very bad movies in my time and this one is much closer to the excellent ones than the terrible ones.
Le loup et le lion (2021)
Quite Good
I'm surprised that this movie has such a low rating. It's got a good storyline; Molly Kunz delivers an excellent performance for the other actors to play off of; it's a good family movie; even the animal training was decently done. Just don't go into it expecting a Hollywood/action movie and you'll enjoy it.
The Little Mermaid (2018)
It's All About Expectations
This is meant to be a kids/family movie - don't expect action, love scenes, etc. The acting is mostly passable, so don't expect blockbuster quality. But the guy is good/earnest and somewhat heroic, the mermaid is a pretty/sweet damsel in distress, the niece is adorable/believable with a heart of gold, and the supporting characters do their part. My biggest objections are the villain's poor acting and the bad editing (there are sometimes long pauses between scenes or times when the characters just stand there waiting, which get in the way of sweeping the audience along with the story). All in all it's worth watching once, and if your kids love it let them watch it a million times.
Sona (2018)
Quite Good!
I've been a fan of pretty much all of the the creators/performers involved in this project so I had high hopes for this series, and it didn't let me down. For a project like this (without large financial backers therefore lacking Hollywood's high-tech refinement), the show almost completely relies on the acting quality. (It's hard to believe that this was almost completely filmed in a remodeled dining room.) I've seen Ashley Clements perform in multiple other projects so I expected complete competence and I must say I've gained even more respect for her acting ability; the amount of information/emotion that she can convey with a word or minute change in facial expression is staggering. Props to her!
My only actual complaint is that I think it's too short! I wish there had been more time to flesh out the details of the universe.
Defenseless (2011)
Refreshing
I quite liked this short. It's refreshing to see something that doesn't just re-tell old ideas. (How many times have companies re-done old series like Spider Man, The Fantastic Four, etc?)
In a style similar to The Matrix, Defenseless did a good job of opening in a seemingly normal world and then transitioning to the fantastic, slowly letting the audience pick up on the details of the setting as the story unfolded. My dad claimed parts were 'hokey,' so know that it does require some suspension of disbelief in order to make the above mentioned transition. But once you understand the entirety of the context that has been established, it does a good job of staying consistent with itself.
The acting and effects were also not too bad (and in some cases, quite good!). With a little embellishing and polishing, this could be a great full-length movie. I gave it a 9/10.