johnfbyers2010 Reviews

Wonka (2023)

Not Great but bearable

[4/10 · 25 March 2024]

Hugh Grant makes this film worth watching and should have had more screen time. One interesting song A World If Your Own almost sounds Beatlle like. All in alll iit rips off the original and tries to impress but falls short. There is an attempt to make a musical that just does not catch the viewer with exception of some scenes especially those with. Mr. Grant. I don't like the number of evil characters because it makes the film antagonistic. The actor playing noodle is weak an almost identical to the character in The Polar Express. Rowan Atlinson is pleasant and refreshing much like Mr. Grant. The Oomoa Loompa songs are entertaining.

Glass Onion (2022)

Not much you could not have figured out

[5/10 · 25 February 2024]

Never seeing Bron open the box was a dead giveaway and this does not play well to the audience thought Daniel Craig is excellent. These rest of it just never convinces anyone that what is happening is real. Case in point is that thd host expected someone to figure out how he would be killed because that wasn't the point of the get together. Even dumber is keeping the envelope available to anyone who could find it. Why didn't he just burn it to begin with? The better approach would have been to "kill" him off and then he eliminates who he needs to but that doesn't happen as the movie spirals downward in to everyone figuring out what the host has done.

Oppenheimer (I) (2023)

Excellent film but could have done more

[8/10 · 20 August 2023]

The minor characters of Richard Feynman among others at Los Alamos should have had dialogue and interaction regarding the project not to mention the humor that he and others had espoused while working there. The.script sticks to the gadget, Oppys issues after it is developed and his women.

Overall it is a very well done film and Tom Conti is very good as Einstein. I am not crazy about Matt Damon but do feel that Robert Downey is extremely good in his role and made an important contribution to the film.

Though it is long, it never tires especially because Cillian Murphy is wonderful as Oppenheimer. I don't care for the performance of the actress playing Oppys love interest as she is rather boring. Also, Gary Oldman is spot on as usual.

Dragged Across Concrete (2018)

Almost Unwatchable

[1/10 · 24 December 2022]

Not much about this film makes sense. I mean one of the drivers watches his buddy die but still is greedy and an excon to boot. What is the point be cause you know you made a deal with the devil and cannot spend any if it without attracting attention but he is just a stupid lowlife. Bad cops and people who die for no reason makes me wonder why I bothered to even watch this. Thank God I didn't pay for it in a theater.

While I like Vince Vaughn and Mel Gibson, this would have played out better if they were good cops.

The film glorifies greed, murder and materialism over everything without regard of how it impacts the lives of the characters.

Elvis (2022)

A poor caricature of Elvis and Tom Parker looking like Tom Hanks

[1/10 · 21 September 2022]

This movie is a disaster! Tom Hanks always winds up looking like his characters and you cannot split this away no matter what you do. As for Austin Butler, he is laughable as Elvis. It just does not work, and the film's main purpose is to depict the mistreatment of Elvis by Tom Parker. There isn't much to save this film no matter what was done and it's a shame that it even went this far. You be better off doing a documentary explaining this so we can actually see and hear Elvis as he was. There are better films about Elvis and better actors who could have played Tom Parker, but Hollywood just loves to use what it has. This was a big waste of time and energy especially mine!

Julie & Julia (2009)

Nice Movie!

[8/10 · 16 December 2021]

Enjoyed Meryl Streep's performance and loved Stanley Tucci's work in this film as well. The only mild complaint to my palate is that they switch between Julie and Julia which takes something away from the experience. The cooking was very interesting especially Julia learning French cooking techniques and acquiring the needed culinary tools. Amy Adams does well but does not seem as serious as Julia was about cooking merely to replicate her recipes.

The Twilight Zone: A Game of Pool (1989) Season 3, Episode 20

Terrible Just Terrible!

[2/10 · 1 December 2021]

The characters walk through each line as if it is scripted not alive and there is little emotion from either except to play their parts. Maury is perhaps the only reason the episode is even watchable being that he has at least personality. I just don't know how they filmed this with the realization that they could pull it off.

The biggest problem is not just the acting but the pool being played which while plausible doesn't provide action like the original. Even the final shot differs wildly and Jesse should be saying he is done as the game ball isn't even a pocket hanger.

No Time to Die (2021)

Missed the mark but entertaining

[5/10 · 29 November 2021]

So here.we are and as the movie progresses it is packed with action. The low point is the ending which makes little sense but as Daniel Craig was in part executive producer, he doesn't know what to give the audience because he focuses on closing out his tenure. For these reason the movie falls short from what we have cone to know as Bond the great spy. I was disappointed in the final product and though the use of a song from a former movie was good. It could not save this film. I now know why one director dropped out because of creative differences.

For Your Consideration (2006)

Doesn't live up to prior Guest/Levy movies

[4/10 · 1 November 2021]

The same ensemble cast we have seen in "Best In Show" and "A Mighty Wind" with exception to Harry Shearer being in the latter only does not blossom with the humor we have all come to know from this troupe. Fred Willard did a fine job as he always does and this time with Jane Lynch but the other actors cant seem to do anything to grab our attention. Ed Begley is pleasing in his role.as gay makeup artist and Catherine Ohara does well. The topic itself and the idea of "Home for Purim" just doesn't work nor does the actors looking for an award nomination. None of this catches our interest and causes the satire to miss the point. Unlike like the other two production previously mentioned, the characters themselves don't seem animated. It wasn't a total loss but came up well short of what it could have been,

Doubt (I) (2008)

Terrible, Terrible, Terrible

[2/10 · 19 September 2021]

The worst performance Meryl Steep has ever given. It is clear the film is used as ammunition against the Catholic church and the known abuses but this principle does not prove anything. She is only seeing what she choses to. There is no innocent until proven guilty and she commits mortals sins along the way just because of what she believes to be true. It is quite like the priest saw through her enough to understand that she could damage his reputation beyond repair with no way to disprove her allegations even by telling the truth since she outright accuses him of lying. If anyone has displayed immoral unethical behavior it is the principle. I wish to have my almost 2 hours back. I pray you never watch this.. I pity the people who made this movie because any other party would be viewed as innocent but a priest.

Replicas (2018)

Not very good especially for what it could have been

[2/10 · 29 August 2021]

This plays out poorly as we don't need the antagonist to live and we would rather see his so called business destroyed after he victimizes Bill for so long. In addition, there are just to many gaps especially with Zoe because everyone in the world who knows she existed out side of the family would be looking for her even if Bill tells the school etc. She is sick. Most of this does not allow us to buy the storyline in full and causes the move to falter into buyable pieces. I just think it could have had potential but fell well short.

Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020)

Just a characterure if Bill and Ted

[1/10 · 4 April 2021]

This is not worth wasting your time and precious life over watching this. It's not Excellent and is Bogus. The story line is weak and the board members who produced this stocked this movie with females because men equals bad in 2020. Rufus is dead so he had a daughter. Bill and Ted do not have sons but have daughters. The people who run the portal or whatever it is called are woman mostly. It is an insult to young boys everywhere and I'm surprised that thd historical musicians weren't females as well.

The actresses playing Bill and Ted's daughters are pathetic as are their attempt to mimic their movie fathers. What Bill and Ted were died with this film so it was a wasted effort. Also. The actors have aged far too much to command these roles and the disgraceful script doesn't help. The producers, directors and writers need to face the music that they failed miserably.

To Tell the Truth (I) (2016–2022)

Hideous version

[1/10 · 27 January 2021]

The original version did not have the panel competing against each other and there was always four not three panelists. It is bad because people should just stand and not bob up and down. Also the host is not exciting and the format of "my name is ...." is gone which takes much out of this version. It could be done much better than this. Simply a waste of time.

I Saw the Light (2015)

Tom Hiddleston is magic in this performance!

[9/10 · 2 December 2020]

I never appreciated his range as an actor but Tom Hiddleston pours everything in to this and it was wonderful. The movie moves quickly and that may be the only drawback but you won't be disappointed.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978)

I didn't think it was all that bad

[5/10 · 18 September 2020]

Look there are many low points in the movie such as:

George Burns singing "Fixing A Hole" 'When I'm sixty four"

The bottom line is, it was meant to be fun and there are plenty of high notes like Barry Gibb singing 'A Day in the Life" Earth, Wind and Fire Aerosmith Steve Martin

If you expect this to compare the the Beatles themselves of course you will be disappointed.

It is much better than the junk of today's music.

Philadelphia (1993)

Very sad and boring

[2/10 · 3 August 2020]

I know why I have never cared for this movie. While the point is he should not have been fired, it would have been more sensible to give him 6 months leave to deal with his health issues. Back then HIV was rampant in the gay community so this isn't surprising that he contracted it and the way he did. This movie doesn't emotionally bind the viewer and once he wins his case he dies anyway so the viewer is cheated out of even a few weeks of what is left perhaps of his life if the story were at least to keep momentum. Also, the subject matter was adorned by Hollywood so its success isn't surprising.

Hampstead (2017)

A Splendid Romantic Movie

[10/10 · 26 July 2020]

Mr. Gleeson is wonderful as Donald a hermit who wants to keep his home on the heath and meets a woman Emily who changes his life.. Diane Keaton as Emily must come to terms with the life and debt she is living with to realize through Donald what is really important and her feelings for him. You won't be disappointed with this sleeper gem and warm up the popcorn for an amazing evening as you will be glued to the screen. The characters remind us of what really matters in life and what happiness should really be about. This movie is about as good as it gets. Cheers!

The Big Bang Theory: The Stockholm Syndrome (2019) Season 12, Episode 24

Bazinga it was horrible

[1/10 · 11 March 2020]

So Sheldon has to win a Nobel prize to see the value in everyone. Utterly cheesy and bad. My ending would have him lose only to see the more important things in life. Raj would finally find someone and of course we find out Penny's maiden name. The writers screwed the fans and Sheldon never learns. When you boil it all down, he is a self centered jerk who needs to learn the hard way.

Night Gallery: The Other Way Out (1972) Season 3, Episode 8

Not really crazy about this one

[5/10 · 28 January 2020]

I suppose that this is one of my least favorite because it is so bone chilling. I mean while this guy is fightig for his life the Burl Ives character is dancing and playing a guitar. In fact I was rooting for the guy to shoot the old man and the kid just to get away from all of it. This would have been far better if there was more emotion for this guy but a simple eye for an eye doesn't hold up to me. If Rod had true creatve control the characters would be more sympatheic rather than rash. It just seems this was a gruesome hillbilly killing and not moral revenge.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)

Hideous

[1/10 · 26 January 2020]

Ok so the stupid mother in an effort to do right by her son releases all of these monsters that they try to control??? These people desreve to be destroyed! This was not a movie but a waste of time. This adds to Charles Dance's mediocre life as an actor as well to plug Stranger Things. It is just plain bad. The charaters have no idea what they are doing and should have been killed of early on just by physics alone!

Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker (2019)

One word: Terrible!

[2/10 · 29 December 2019]

Recycled and cannibalized ideas from previous films with no real direction. Hollywood has made statements by using as many women as possible and in one scene does something abominable! This is no longer about the vision George Lucas once had but now a platform for politically correct BS. Not even Star Trek ever did that. I thankfully did not pay to see this. Don't waste your hard earned money

Apollo 18 (2011)

Terrible so don't waste your time!

[3/10 · 1 December 2019]

First of all protocols go out the window on just about everything that happens from the point they land on the moon. Nothing makes sense and we are lead to believe that all moon rock was confiscated or taken away from anyone who had it. To further add, the number if people would would have to be silenced is mind boggling. Must have come from the same minds who said we never landed on the moon in the first place. This is fiction no doubt.

Contact (1997)

Not Bad Except for the Ending!

[2/10 · 11 February 2019]

Look if you were to travel in some device that aliens sent you and you know that time is relative, then wouldn't you have a chronograph? Not this so called scientist believing that she can record everything that happens. They then claim she has no evidence of the journey and instead of making that public they suppress it to drive her crazy! I think up until the ending it held its own and Tom Skerrit, James Woods and Jodie Foster suck. Only Mathew McConaghey is worth watching. This was really killed by the ending especially for a species that wants to know if others are out there.

The Grinch (2018)

Worthy Effort

[6/10 · 19 November 2018]

I liked this adaptation except for the narration which would have been better by Brad Dourif as Pharrell Williams leaves much to be desired. This story is good but the Grinch is not supposed to find a reindeer.and that changes the way he becomes good from the original story. I like the animation and the way it was produced. The characters are fun except of course for the Grinch.

My Dinner with Hervé (2018 TV Movie)

Peter Dinklage does his best!

[6/10 · 23 October 2018]

I like what Mr. Dinklage tried to accomplish but of course he is not Herve for many reasons so one must accept that when watching this movie.Only that and the remade portion of 'The Man with the Golden Gun" cause the viewer to have to go beyond the visual. The actor portraying Roger Moore was not even close and suffice to say the reason is to focus on Herve (Dinklage) as the original footage would not work. The pain and suffering of the Herve is the premise of this picture so Mr. Dinklage does an outstanding job of conveying that to the viewer as does his relationship with the writer. This was worthy effort on many facets so you will like the end result of what Mr. Dinklage could reach for in Herve's situation.