sfinancing Reviews

The Butler (I) (2013)

So much potential with a mediocre result

[5/10 · 10 February 2024]

First mention has to be that the cast is great. For the most part well acted.

My biggest problem with the film was co-opting a decent and interesting story about a dedicated man who subtly fought for equal opportunity and pay for himself and other minority White House employees through 5+decades and many epic pieces of history. What the directory provided instead was a civil rights version of Forest Gump with about as much connection to reality.

To quote the fictional version of MLK speaking to fictional future civil rights leader son of the fictional Cecil:

Martin Luther King Jr.: Young brother, the black domestic defy racial stereotypes by being hardworking and trustworthy. He slowly tears down racial hatred with his example of a strong work ethic and dignified character. Now, while we perceive the butler or the maid to be subservient, in many ways they are subversive, without even knowing it.

Sometimes history actually tells a better story than fiction.

Might be worth the time for this one if you have nothing better to do, but don't pay for it.

Elvis (2022)

Well acted...

[5/10 · 25 September 2022]

Butler and Hanks played their parts extremely well and believably, though the rest of the characters were 2D and essentially throw-away and the story didn't really go anywhere. In regards to story, I didn't really come away with any new insight into Elvis the person(or in this case the character) or really into the Colonel.

The one thing I will say in regards to the movie is that not only is it long, it feels even longer. Around the 2 hour mark in the movie my wife turned to me and asked "shouldn't he be dying soon?"... sigh...if only.

Subject matter being what it is I will say that the music throughout was very well done.

Overall, it was all right but I'm glad I didn't have to pay to see it.

The Suicide Squad (2021)

Mixed feeling

[6/10 · 8 August 2021]

So this one is much better than the first, however that is a pretty low bar to start with.

So the good first: Special effects were good if overdone. Robbie was good as HQ, though she doesn't stand out as much as the first(not sure if this is because the writing for her isn't as good or that the actors around her do better). I like Elba and thought he did well enough. The rest at least held there own. King Shark added a few amusing moment and honestly TDK's brief moment of glory was probably the most amusing. Good soundtrack.

The not so good: Pacing was okay, but the movie is overly long with a few slow spots. Writing was mediocre at best, probably want to avoid writing at a 5th grade humor level for a movie with a hard R rating.

Overall it was okay and we already had HBOMAX so it was free. Not one I would recommend paying for but not a bad choice to kill a couple hours.

The Dead Don't Die (2019)

Great cast...

[2/10 · 25 February 2021]

... ... That's really the only good thing I saw.

On to the movie. I'll go slow.

Comedy supposedly, just without any moments of humor. I actually watched this movie all the way through waiting for something mildly amusing...Murray does dry humor better than anyone, but it was just dry.

Boring zombies.

Stupid and completely unrelated UFO cameo.

Guarantee this would have been better if they just had the cast make up there lines as they went.

Annoying repetitive soundtrack.

Breaks the fourth wall for no particular reason or benefit.

Save a brain cell and skip this snoozefest.

Hard Kill (2020)

Free on Netflix...

[2/10 · 3 January 2021]

...and way overpriced.

I'm just not sure where to start. 90 some minutes that seemed to go on for hours. The writers just seemed to latch on to random cliches for dialogue and then try and build a plot from it. Willis(and I like Willis) seems more bored by the script than I was, but luckily for him only had to deal with it for like 10 min. McNulty seemed to be the only one even trying with his lines and is ultimately the only reason I gave it 2 stars instead of one. I get the feeling the rest of the cast was maybe just some random people pulled off the street and paid with a six pack.

This thing felt like it was 8 hours long, but luckily it was only an hour and a half of my life thrown away.

I suppose it was better than suck starting a 12 gauge, but its a close call.

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

Personally thought the 1st WW movie rocked...

[3/10 · 26 December 2020]

...not sure what they were thinking with this one. A couple mediocre action scenes, a bad ROMCOM plot in a lame Woke storyline. Gadot does the best she can with this stinker, Pine is mediocre and the rest of the cast phoned it in. The writers should be shot. The editor should have taken a 40 min chunk out of the middle...it couldn't have made the story worse.

Hint to the person who thought that the perfect climax for the badass heroine that Gadot brought us in WW was to convince the metaphorically roid raging Evil world overlord to hug it out at the end was a good call....yeah, really, not so much.

If you signed up for HBO Max for this one, might want to see if they have anything good playing.

Bushwick (2017)

Bad...

[1/10 · 22 November 2020]

Suspending disbelief can only take you so far.

Silly plot.

Poor dialogue.

Little to no effects.

2d characters.

Poor acting.

Free on Netflix and way overpriced.

Rambo: Last Blood (2019)

Nostalgic...

[4/10 · 11 June 2020]

...but not especially good. Plenty of action with little to no storyline. Wasn't expecting miracles but maybe the writers could have come up with a line or two for actors other than Stallone. Perhaps just something other than 1 dimensional stock characters. Nah...why bother. Even the scenes of mayhem seemed ripped from previous movies.

Whatever, it was worth the 80 some minutes as long as it was free. As I wrote this review I kept taking away stars, so I will quit before it gets any lower.

Joker (I) (2019)

A killing joke...

[6/10 · 22 February 2020]

...but I seem to have missed the punchline. Joker is insane, that is a given for the character, but this is the first portrayal I have seen where that translates to the criminal mastermind of Gotham actually being a just shy of drooling moron. Phoenix works everything out of the performance(the reason for the stars) but in the end Joker comes off more sad victim/idiot. The writers couldn't seem to decide whether they were aiming more for anti-hero, social justice warrior, or simply abused child turned villain. The result is just a mess. Oh, and don't go into it expecting anything even mildly amusing or entertaining.

Acting: Spot on for Phoenix, the supporting cast pretty much called it in.

Writing: As stated, just a mess.

Directing: This one drags. 2 hours ends up feeling like 4.

Cinematography: Decent if dark.

Overall: I'd be much happier if I hadn't paid to see it, but maybe worth a single watch if its free and a really boring day.

Doom Patrol (2019–2023)

Character driven....

[9/10 · 31 May 2019]

...and one of the best "superhero" shows ever. Dark, warped, amusing, interesting and I can't wait for season 2.

Writing amazing with smart twists throughout. Likeable, if broken, characters abound.

Acting on point.

Directing keeps a great pace.

Special effects could be improved on.

Well worth the price of admission.

The Order (2019–2020)

Slightly above average...

[6/10 · 5 May 2019]

...CW style teen angst drama crossed with fantasy in modern day setting. Can't really say there is anything to hate or love here.

Getting right to it with the mediocre...

Acting, while not stellar, is serviceable across the board. Actually rather liked Martini as the heavy. While they were playing fairly stock characters, the relative unknowns all played their parts well enough.

The plot, with a minor twist or two, is one we all have seen before done better. The dialogue unoriginal but serviceable.

Special effects/CGI were subpar even in a made for TV realm.

Overall:

Free on Netflix and maybe worth the time to watch...but don't go out of your way.

The Expanse (2015–2022)

This one just keeps getting better...

[9/10 · 20 April 2019]

... and that hard because it started out excellent.

True science fiction touching into drama, mystery, politics and intrigue with some action and thrills.

The good:

The acting is spot on with excellent scripting and dialogue to back it. The plot is engaging and really A+ for the writers across the board.

Special effects are well done without being over the top.

Top notch production values.

Directors know their business and keep it moving along.

The downside such as it is:

Between introducing the characters and getting the story up and running this one is slow to start and draw you in. Keep with it, its worth it!

Overall

Well worth the time and any cost to watch. Looking forward to Season 4.

Black Summer (2019–2021)

Hard to describe...

[6/10 · 16 April 2019]

... and certainly not what I expected from the Z-Nation creators. Very dark which can work, just not sure it did herel A zombie flick(yep, know its a series) that likens back to Night of the Living Dead both in a good way and a not so good way. It catches well the tense horror feel of NLD but well imagine if that horror classic(at 1.5 hours) had been 6 hours long.

Breaking it down.

Acting was well done from a cast of relative unknowns who didn't have a ton to work with.

The script is one of weaker I have seen in the genre(and that is saying something in the world of ZA films) and the intelligent dialogue is essentially non existent. Character development...nil. Not a fan of the chaptering. Plot was predictable, but being a zombie flick acceptable.

Special effects were surprisingly understated...not really sure how I feel about that.

Directing...hmm...it moved along and I can't say it was boring, I'm just unsure that I liked where it went.

Over all. I watched it and don't regret it...but can't really recommend it.

Captain Marvel (2019)

Thought this was actually one of the better character intro...

[8/10 · 10 March 2019]

...movies from Marvel. Despite numerous flashbacks this one kept a good pace without the slow spots common in the character intros.

The good first(and mostly)...

The acting across the board was well done IMO.

Special effects in general were well done...a bit overwhelming in the space battles. Overall maybe an A- with the exception of the age regression on Jackson and Gregg which gets an A+.

Storyline and characters were solid, though not especially innovative.

Production values and directing were excellent.

The not great(though not horrid)...

Writing and dialogue were a bit flat in spots. Again not horrible, but lacking the LOL moments from the best of the Marvel movies.

Overall...chose to see this one opening weekend and it was worth every penny.

The Penitent Man (2010)

Could have been...

[6/10 · 24 February 2019]

This had the potential to be an excellent film but unfortunately drifted into mediocrity. This low/no budget time travel sci-fi drama started out with all the signs of being a hidden gem in the footsteps of "The man from Earth" before it tragically stumbles.

An interesting premise combines with some interesting dialogue for a not too preachy societal commentary. Had they focussed more on a theme of personal growth, the time travel aspect or possibly even the societal commentary angle then this one could have unearthed the gem that remained buried. As it is, it is more of a muddled mess.

Acting Henrickson and Keegan turn in good performances. The remainder should probably leave this one off their resumes.

Writing was excellent in the first half of the film sliding into tired for the conclusion.

Low budget so don't look for miracles in terms of soundtrack or cinematography and as expected special effects were no existent.

Overall...

Not sorry I saw it but unlikely to recommend it. If you have a couple hours with nothing more interesting to waste it on, give this one a look.

IO (2019)

Somewhat better...

[2/10 · 27 January 2019]

...than performing a root canal on yourself, but its a close call.

Poor science combines with a terrible script and a swiss cheese plot to produce a true snooze-fest. Sometimes you can find that B movie gold in independent low budget films, but this isn't it.

High points such as they are:

The acting wasn't horrible. Had the two actors had more to work with in the form of better writing, this may have been watchable.

Cinematography was OK.

The rest:

Pacing was horrible. Plot was lame and the dialogue was, well I almost said silly but that would imply at least some intent to entertain.

Overall, save your time and a brain cell and skip this one.

She Demons (1958)

B-gold

[7/10 · 4 January 2019]

If you get a kick out of Plan 9 and other 50's B classics you are looking in the right spot.

How can you lose when you combine a mad scientist, scantily clad dancing girls, a volcano, Nazis with monster animal girls(stil scantily clad)? Did I mention the planes doing bombing runs, cheesy dialogue, stock characters and goofy storyline?

Yup some campy gold here. Go into it with appropriate expectations if you enjoy this genre(?) and I expect you will enjoy it.

Aquaman (2018)

Not the best DCEU...

[6/10 · 2 January 2019]

...but not the worst either, granted that isn't a high bar.

Just gonna put it out there, though many will disagree, Mamoa does action hero well in my opinion. There were a few other other solid performances, but nothing anyone should be putting out there as their shining moment.

Special effect blockbuster with over the top CGI. While it was indeed visually stunning in spots I think they would have been better off investing in some better writers. CGI should not take the place of a good story.

Which brings me to the tired plot, lifeless dialogue, mostly 2D characters and much recycled, cliched script.

Directing and pace...well this one dragged. This one would have had slow spots at 1 1/2 hours, at almost 2 1/2 hours lets just say the editors should have gotten a bit busier.

I'm a comic book geek and don't claim otherwise. I would love to see DC get their act together and start putting out great movies on a regular basis, but I don't think this is one of them.

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)

Hit and miss...

[5/10 · 31 December 2018]

A few interesting stories that were too short, a few mediocre a few poor that seemed way too long. Not sure where all the love is coming from.

Acting was well done across the board, both from the familiar faces and those less well known.

Some of the stories as I mentioned were good/great, but they are balance by the rest that just seemed to be filling space. Dialogue was well done even if it was supporting a story that went nowhere.

Pace was perfect in a few stories, dragged in most though.

Cinematography was amazing.

Overall not something I will watch again(ever) but it had some good points.

Bird Box (2018)

It is Okay

[5/10 · 28 December 2018]

Not really getting the 1 or 10 reviews.

If one ignores those you will find a perfectly adequate film. It fits better into the category of psychological thriller(with limited thrills) than horror or scifi.

On to the review:

Acting was decently done considering the fairly weak script.

Lovecraftian storyline(just seeing the creature makes you go mad) has never really translated well to film and this is no exception. Some mildly creepy moments.

Pace was okay, but honestly they could have shaved 20-30 min without a problem. Director seemed to be aiming for a slow burn rising to an explosive end, however in this case it just fizzled.

CGI and special effects were non-existent. Wouldn't have been a problem had the premise or dialogue been better.

Overall, don't regret seeing it, but there is not a lot here to recommend.

Electra Woman and Dyna Girl (2016)

Fun...

[8/10 · 9 December 2018]

...in a 60's Batman, The Tick, Kick-ass kinda way.

Bad(ish) first in this one:

Fairly predictable plot and scripting.

The rest:

Acting from the mostly unknown(to me at least) cast was well done and enjoyable.

Directing...this one moved along nicely, no real slow spots.

Production values were good.

Special effects were a nice surprise, neither overdone nor cheesy.

Overall not a bad way to spend a few hours on a quiet Sunday afternoon.

The Awakening (2005 Video)

Low budget...

[1/10 · 9 December 2018]

...and it shows on so many levels. Unwatchable.

I would have just stopped there had it not been too short a review.

Had the acting been better this may have achieved the dubious distinction of being endurable, though with the poor script, watchable and enjoyable were way out of reach.

Low budget older flick, so didn't expect special effects wonders, but this is just bad.

Was hoping by the reviews that this might be one of those hidden B gems. Just goes to show what getting the cast and crew to post reviews can get you. OK, you got me.

Hopefully this one just disappears. I feel like I have already wasted more than enough your time(at 30 sec) having you read a short review...

Night of the Living Deb (2015)

Tromaville this aint...

[5/10 · 2 December 2018]

... a B movie that knows its a B movie, if only it had embraced it.

The whole RomZomCom genre is so under-utilized....just sayin'. The fact that this could potentially fall into this slim category as a date movie with someone not into Zoms or gore actually raises its rating(at least for me).

Over acted and under scripted with 2D characters and mediocre effects on a low budget. The somewhat recognizable actors provide some amusing moments and they at least seem to have a bit of fun with it.

While this one is never going to be on anyone's "must see" list it was fine and is unlikely to offend.

While I would never recommend paying to see it, grab a bowl of popcorn and watch away for free on Prime.

Prepper (2016)

A bit of potential...

[2/10 · 2 December 2018]

...that really goes nowhere.

This film actually had a bit of potential going in. Independent and low budget can still produce a good movie...it just didn't in this case. Had they taken this as a character study of 2 liberal(whiney) teachers learning to survive in a world of non-entitlement this could have been an interesting watch. Likewise had the film not taken itself quite so seriously, the one or two mildly amusing scenes could have expanded into a watchable dramedy. As it is this is a confused 1/2 story that takes us on a slowly rambling preachy journey to nowhere.

Really confused as to why this is rated as high as it is.

If you feel the need, watch it yourself and draw your own conclusions(ultimately it is your time to waste)...but only if its free.

Downsizing (2017)

Meh...

[4/10 · 26 November 2018]

A genre bender. Not exactly sure what genre they were aiming for, however in my opinion they completely missed the mark. A couple of mildly humorous moments. An interesting SciFi premise that fails to deliver. Environmental and societal commentary for grade schoolers maybe. RomCom drama lacking romance, comedy and drama(as well as chemistry between the leads).

What works at least a bit-

The leads played their parts well enough.

Cinematography and special effects were passable.

What doesn't-

Pacing is horrible. Not sure if this is more a poor job of directing or editing. In either case they should cut an hour or so of snoozefest.

Writing for the most part is subpar(though there is a mildly memorable moment here and there).

Included with your Hulu subscription and still a bit overpriced. The minutes you spend watching this would be better spent on an old re-run of...well really just about anything.