beylie Reviews

Taz: Quest for Burger (2023 Video)

Great fun!

[8/10 · 20 June 2023]

I watched Taz as a kid in the 80's and I loved his crazy nature back. Was surprised to see a new movie come out and we decided to watch it with our kids (6 and 8).

It takes a little bit of time to get into the style of animation, but it really is beautifully done. It's zany and woks well.

It is a little weird that the main character, Quinn, does not have an Australian accent, but once you accept that, you're in for a treat! Hadley Gannaway does such a great voice. 10/10. The other characters are also voiced well.

The story is fun. Nothing too surprising, but it allows Quinn and Taz to shine in their unique ways and both bring plenty to the story.

Loved it and can't wait to watch more of their story.

Clerks III (2022)

I'm not crying, you're crying!

[8/10 · 14 October 2022]

I guess going through a rough patch in life right now affected how I perceived this movie a little. Without a doubt it is a good movie though. The throwbacks are beautifully handled, the story is on par with the other films, the acting is, again, perfect for this universe.

I loved seeing the characters again and how much (or is it little?) they've grown. There is a new emotional high to the movie that the other's didn't quite reach. It moves the heart and might bring tears to your eyes.

Jokes are great with some awesome laugh-out-loud moments too. The cameos are funny!

Extra credit to Trevor Fehrman and Rosario Dawson for excellent performances!

And end of a saga indeed. May the convenience store be with you, forever.

Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms (2021)

Enjoyable watch with some plot holes.

[8/10 · 31 August 2021]

Thoroughly enjoyed it. Some holes in the plot, but it is still very enjoyable. I wish they'd make a series out of it because the character development is really rushed.

The animation is on par with the Scorpion movie, but the story isn't as good. A nod has to be given to the team that did the sound design. Really crisp and meaty sounds. Also nice to hear sounds familiar from the games used.

I sincerely hope there's more of these movies. IMHO, they're better than the live action flicks.

Joker (I) (2019)

Incredible performance and awesome screenplay and music

[9/10 · 8 November 2019]

I went in not knowing what to expect. The movie is incredibly well made. From the way the almost ambient soundtrack pulsates through the whole movie, to Joaquin's breathtaking performance to the awesome cinematography and the mesmerizing ending, this simply rocks. If there's more, please let me know. This was an excellent movie in a sea of drab.

It Chapter Two (2019)

Better than the first, still not good enough.

[4/10 · 8 September 2019]

I thought very little of the first movie. It deviated from the book after the very first scene. This review isn't about that movie though. I gave this 4 stars as I thought first half of the movie worked really well and kind of stayed true to the book. All the cast members were excellent except whoever the actor is that plays Eddie. He has the emotional range of brick. Bill Hader did an excellent job! Awesome cameo as well by a certain person.

The movie starts going south when it's Ben's turn for his solo journey. From there the book is pretty much ignored and it starts falling to pieces. I don't want to even get into the ending of the movie. The ending is so poorly adapted that I thought I might walk out of the theatre.

Still. It got a whole 3 stars more from me than the first solely based on the first half of the movie. Some good shots, dialogue etc. Still wouldn't recommend it to anyone though. Read the book if you want a good story. Hopefully one day someone will make TV series out of this and give the material the attention it needs.

Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017)

Please give a standing ovation for Vince Vaughn

[8/10 · 20 October 2017]

I watched this without having seen a trailer. When I saw Vince Vaughn in it, I expected a comedy of some sort. I'm glad to say that I was wrong. Vince Vaughn delivers like I've never seen him deliver. His acting is beyond excellent. He portrays Bradley in a sincere, intense and beautiful way. The movie is written well, dialogue is excellent. I've become a fan of VV with this one movie.

The movie leaves one satisfied on all levels. Highly recommended and brilliantly executed. Well done S. Craig Zahler, well done Vince Vaughn.

PS: Not for the squeamish.

It (I) (2017)

Unfortunately not that good

[2/10 · 9 September 2017]

Disclaimer - this is my favorite book of all time.

The first 10 minutes was beautiful and I had my hopes up. The amount of details included from the book were very good. Then suddenly the movie turned into disjointed scenes with a bunch of scare jumps that are really not that scary unless your perhaps 10.

The deviation from the book is ridiculous, almost worse than the original mini series. I think the kids did a great job and Bill Skarsgård shined when they didn't ruin his character with CGI, but unfortunately this movie left me disappointed. I think people who have not read the book might enjoy it, but they'll never get the true dread, hopelessness and fear that the book instills by watching this. I'm going to recommend the book instead of this attempt.

The Space Between Us (I) (2017)

Better than I thought it would be

[7/10 · 15 June 2017]

I didn't expect much based on the premise of the movie and now that I've watched it I'm shocked at some of the low scores it received. I thought the movie ticked the right boxes. The story flows well (taking liberties with a few science things, but who cares), the main characters work well together and although the ending is a little predictable, it left me feeling satisfied.

I love Gary Oldman, but this was one of his weaker performances.

If you're just looking for a feel good sciency love story, watch this.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

Better than I thought

[8/10 · 14 December 2016]

I didn't have any expectations for this. I thought it was well handled, even some of the controversial characters (I think one character specifically is going to split the SW community in two). The action sequences were great! Ground combat, space combat, melee, all done beautifully. I actually felt tired at the end of the movie because of the amount of things that were going on.

Unfortunately the movie is too short for us to get to know the back stories of some of the more interesting characters. I'd recommend this too any SW fan. It's great to see a movie dedicated to the people that made helped the rebels take on the empire.

I think I might even like this more than SW VII. Either way, you're bound to enjoy it. It's a great chapter in the SW universe.

The Brothers Grimsby (2016)

Surprisingly funny

[8/10 · 29 May 2016]

I've never been a fan of SBC. I watched this without knowing he was involved or one of the main actors. And I have to admit, I had some tears streaming down my face due to some of the gags. Really some funny moments.

Yes, the story is the strongest, but it never tries to be serious. It actually tells the tale of the strength of family, friends and loyalty. It was nice to see South Africa featuring a bit as well (I'm from there), but I was sad to see that they brought in an American actress to play the maid. I guess they have to play some bigger names. Both brothers were portrayed well and the dynamics between were great.

The wife's probably going to hate it, but I'm going to tell her to watch it anyway. She'll have a few good (and unbelieving) laughs as well.

The Ridiculous 6 (2015)

Nope. Rather watch something else.

[2/10 · 23 December 2015]

Nope. Nope. Nope. I don't even know why I attempt to watch Adam Sandler movies anymore. Everything he plays in are terrible written and not funny at all. This is no exception. Mr Sandler also seems so uninterested, again.The jokes are weak and watered down. The acting is wooden. I always feels so sorry for the actors that make it into a movie with Mr Sandler because they'll probably not be remembered no matter how good they pull off their part.

Sandler should really pick his parts more carefully. I think he has potential to make some funny movies, but this ain't one of them.

There are better movies out there (really, anything else), so don't waste your time watching this.

Jurassic World (2015)

Shouldn't have expected more

[4/10 · 12 July 2015]

Well, the only thing this movie had going for it was the throwbacks to the original. Character dialogue is weak, too few tense scenes, too much cgi.

The characters also jarringly change their outlook on life halfway through the film. Chris Pratt wasn't too bad. The army guy was okay too.

This movie feels incredibly rushed. I felt none of the awe the original inspired. The only thing that got my blood pumping was the few times they used the music from the original.

Slightly entertaining if you're bored. If you're a fan of JP 1 & 2, I think you might be disappointed. I won't be watching this again.

Jupiter Ascending (2015)

Loss of opportunity

[3/10 · 27 April 2015]

Beautiful CGI, beautiful girl / guy combo, terrible pacing, story and lack of interest of actors. Even the music doesn't add much. The only good thing that I got from this is the beautiful visuals of the planets.

If they fleshed out the characters, had less of the same actions scenes and stopped relying only on CGI to impress, this might have deserved a 6-7. But none of that is in this movie. I'm giving it a 3. I had high hopes for the Mila / Channing magic, but alas, their dialogue is so poorly written that although they tried their best, there was no rescuing it.

Rather watch old Friends reruns. You'll get more joy out of that.