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Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021)
Watch paint dry instead.
I've watched every movie in the Saw franchise. I can't help it, I love the blood and gore of it all.
This however, was by far the worst of the series. Sure, it's the 9th in the series and many would have difficulty making this work, but this is a special kind of 'worst of the series'.
Why it's the worst isn't what you might think though. It's not the storyline, it's not the staged 'torture for truth' gore scenes. They were fine.
Why? Because someone decided to cast Chris Rock as the lead. I love his previous work as a standup comedian, a recent season of Fargo, and several small bits in movies that were held high with established actors who've mastered dramatic roles. Chris isn't one of them.
After the 1st scene where Chris is required to act as though he's now thrust into this new case, a time wherein he should sell his anger and contempt just trough a facial expression? Then he falls flat and looks somewhat like he's trying to squeeze one out on the toilet.
In Fargo Chris played the protagonist rather well. Something I was surprised he was capable of pulling off. But this role just escaped him.
Don't watch this, but know that I took one for the team just so I could advise you on how bad it was.
End of Watch (2012)
A very different view of law enforcement
I've seen this movie 4 times. I love it, it's what I would imagine what law enforcement life would be like in 70's and 80's LA. Gangs were plentiful, drugs were everywhere, and police weren't under the microscope of smartphones and surveillance cameras like they are now.
Life was different, not only for police, but for criminals, and those who lived near them too. Drive-by shootings were becoming the way gangs and even the mafia responded to their enemies. High powered semi-automatic and even fully automatic weapons were used to dispatch their level of justice to their enemies.
However, I don't just know firearms from watching movies. I served, and had the opportunity to use the hand guns, semi-automatic, and fully-automatic weapons just like are used in this movie.
Not long after the movie starts there's a drive-by, and the shooters are using fully-automatic AK-47's, one of the most deadly automatic weapons in the world. The AK was first produced in 1948 firing a 7.62mm round (.308), and incredibly reliable, and accurate.
However, 2 shooters from less than 50' away firing at 715m/s at a rate of 10 rounds per second could only hit 1 person in a cluster of bodies.[ In addition to that another shooter was firing a 45 semi-auto at them.
Sure, these are untrained shooters who likely have only fired weapons like this once or twice, but seriously? Only 1 person in a cluster of 5 people standing 2 feet from each other? Is the message the director is sending one of "we didn't want a lot of bodies", or "we assume they don't know how to shoot'?
Directors and editors need to do a better job than this when producing movies. People who watch them know things they don't, so hire a consultant from the police, and even someone who used to bang. Bring them on set and advise on the incidents and even script so the product you produce is real, or as close to real as you can make it.
My review of this? Great flick. Great action and wonderful twist on how it's filmed. I really enjoyed the story, the actors, and the flow. Good job, but there are easy fixes to annoying things. Take advantage of them.
Beyond Skyline (2017)
Make your own next time
I get it. Scripting scenes can be difficult and expensive, but literally copying and pasting scenes from the previous in the trilogy? Seriously?
Play it on a mirror so it's not so obvious maybe?
I like sci-fi and action flicks. But when you have a trilogy, one that you plan on milking for as much as you can garner, maybe don't just steal from other ones to fill in for time?
Has me wondering if 'Skylines', the third in the series, is going to be just parts of #1 and #2 pasted together to create a feature film?
Boss Level (2020)
Nope, should've watched paint dry instead
I have to say I'm a bit shocked with the 9's and 10's people are throwing around. Did I watch the same movie?
I enjoyed every bit of it. Right up until the last few minutes. It's truly like that part of the movie didn't change their thoughts on it, and they just let it go. I can't.
To me, it was like watching one of my favorite movies, only instead of the hero surviving the bad guy does. That's not the ending of this, but the ending completely sucks, so having your hero fail would kind of suck, right?
Can someone tell me how this flick rates such high grades when the script, director, and editors take you up, prep you for awesomeness, then.........roll credits.
There, I said it and although I've never given a spoiler alert in the past, there's literally no way for me to finish this review. The ending sucked. You have no idea what happens, who wins, who loses, nothing.
It sucked.
Superman & Lois (2021)
Worth watching.
This is an interesting twist on a Superman story that takes you into his new family life. Sure, there are disasters to be fixed and injuries from car wrecks to prevent, but this seems to focus on Superman the father instead of just the world savior.
After watching a new Marvel startup (WandaVision) and being incredibly disappointed I thought it was perhaps best to keep the 'hero' genre on the big screen. This however has given me hope that the small screen just might work.
As long as the writers keep the storylines in check and the budget down (so it can afford to continue) then this will be an enjoyable series.
Most Dangerous Game (2020)
Easy to binge
This is the second small-screen 'short' series I've watched. IMO the format makes it incredibly east to binge, and the storyline very easy to follow.
This series has packed in several well-known faces who carry the story easily from beginning to end. They create a visual that contains sadness, elation, fear, anxiety, and incredible anger. It's like a rollercoaster of ups and downs throughout the 15 seven minute episodes.
This is well worth the investment of time. There is violence throughout the show so I wouldn't park a youngster in front of the TV while you're watching, but you should definitely watch this.
That is, unless you don't like to be entertained.
Dangerous Lies (2020)
Diamond in the rough.
Lots of twists and turns you don't expect in a movie with almost nobody you'd recognize outside of Elliot Gould and Jamie Chung.
Elliot doesn't play a lead role and although Jamie is in a number of scenes, she too played a secondary or supporting role, so this was held together with a number of newer acting stock.
They did well. The ebbs and flows worked well and nearing the 4th quarter the twists start to surface. And there's not one, so be ready to have a confused look on your face in the last 10 to 15 minutes of the movie.
This is definitely worth the investment of close to 2 hours.
Breach (2020)
Alien's 8th cousin twice removed meets the 16th reboot of Die Hard
Firstly, why is it the casting director feels the need to hire someone with an incredibly strong accent to play a role that requires they hide it. Sure, Timothy Murphy has his moments, but wasn't there anyone from the US available to take on his role? Nobody? Seriously?
Secondly, what is it with Thomas Jane? And come to think of it, Bruce Willis too. Do they have a need to be working all the time or they'd go crazy, or are they forced to pay off alimony and need to work constantly?
If they are desperate to just work, then I suggest they be smarter and pick work that isn't so, what's the word, crappy. I think that sums it up. If they have the alimony issue than charge on brother. Gottta do what you gotta do.
Lastly, the movie, the one I'm 43 minutes into, it's bad. It's not IMDB 3.6 bad though. It's IMDB 1.0 bad. Just don't waste your time with this one. I'm shocked that the worldwide gross was $37,770 as I can't imagine over 4200 people earning money at their job, and taking part of their 'take-home' pay to watch this in a theatre.
Curious though, how is it that someone could ever wake up from cryogenic sleep in seconds. Wait, you can't. Know what else you can't do? Get back the time you might've wasted had you painstakingly watched all of this.
WandaVision (2021)
You're kidding me, right?
I've been a Marvel fan for years, ever since I was able to hold a comic book I was fascinated by the notion of super powers.
Now of course, I know they're not real, but I still look forward to new releases in the theater and also take in reruns on TV when I can.
But this? Who ever thought it up should not ever be the "go to" person for new ideas. The entire notion of a 'Bewitched meets I Love Lucy meets Dick Van Dyke' borders on insanity. Maybe if we all hadn't see the two leads in multiple movies would've made the idea fresher, but it's too late.
Save the 30 minutes for something more interesting like watching plants grow in your garden or see how long it takes for a teaspoon of water to evaporate. At least then you'd be more entertained than this colossal flop IMO.
The Orchard (2020)
What was I thinking? 81 minutes lost
I could've watched paint dry, snow melt in the spring, or sandpapered my eyes, literally anything else would've made more sense.
Did a director suggest "we need an actor who's known, but not high priced? Someone we can get to act like an uneducated dimwitted sheriff?"
And someone thought of Thomas Jane? What's even more shocking is that he agreed to do this. It's awful, and I mean that in the most literal terms There's no character building, no plot to follow, nothing at all.
Part of the story involves a very in-depth plot that was somehow arranged by strangers in less than a few minutes. And it sets the tone and pace for the entire movie. A tone that just continues to disappoint scene after scene. In fact, I don't think any part of the transitions between them added up to a plot.
But, like a toothache, you just poke at it with your tongue, I stayed on until the end. Hoping beyond hope that at least one of the people claiming to be actors and actresses would pull a hail Mary and prove themselves as masters of their craft, but nope.
There is a part you'll enjoy though. Most would've left the theatre before this, but the credit? They were a welcome sight.
Shadow in the Cloud (2020)
Backstory, backstory, backstory
If you present a group of people who seemingly have no connection to the "horror", and no reason for the "horror", and no commentary as to where the "horror" came from, or why the "horror" is there, then you've failed your audience.
Just a suggestion to the abysmal $40,000 opening weekend in Auckland, but maybe develop a character the same way you would the villain. If nobody knows who, or what the villain is, then nobody will know what's going on.
In this movie that feeling took place shortly after the flight started.
Save your money, don't watch this.
Target Number One (2020)
Not a bad use of 2 hours
The characters flowed quite wall and who doesn't' love a story of how the FBI screwed over the RCMP, right?
Here's my problem with the entire film, and it's the same complaint I had about the movie Argo.
In Argo they make the scenario out to be a few bumbling Canadians stumble through a scenario that some much smarter Americans plan out on their own saving 6 by shuttling them to the Canadian Embassy.
Then, while there, the Americans tell the Canadians to teach them "Canadian-speak".
That's not what happened. The Canadian Ambassador came up with the plan, the Canadians at the embassy trained the 6 Americans, and the Canadians saved their lives. No American was involved other than to welcome them back to North America when they landed in Toronto.
In this flick they don't even have the chutzpa to call Canada's federal police agency the RCMP. That's who they are, and they've been around a lot longer than the FBI. The North-West Mounted Police were formed at the orders of our first Prime Minister (John A Macdonald) to maintain order in the North-west fur trade. They're territory grew and in 1920 the force changed names to the current RCMP.
In this movie the reference is to Canada's "Federal Police". Now, had it been once I would've let it go, but it was more like 5 times. I had to speak up.
But I digress. Good movie, and Josh was the perfect match to portray the real Victor Malarek, albeit I think the real one isn't over 6'.
I just wish US movie producers didn't feel the need to make Canada out to be like your ugly step-sister or a distant cousin who drinks too much. Keep in mind that if our weather is truly changing, you Americans are going to want somewhere to go, and it would be better if we laid down a welcome mat, don't you think?
Monsterland: Iron River, Michigan (2020)
It builds, then it falls.........
I enjoyed all of the episodes so far. That is until I watch this one.
The plot builds to a climax then falls as flat as a story could.
The protagonist takes over the life of a girl she left in the forest a decade prior. She's seemingly caught in her what must be a very elaborate set of lies on her wedding day and all seems lost.
Then she runs into the forest only to find the friend she left behind, and after this long-lost friend ask her to "help please", with a smirk she walks away. And that's it, no close, no wrap up, no villain gets their due punishment, just a walk out of the forest.
Not impressed at all to be honest.
The 2nd (2020)
Has more good than bad, but not overly good.
Clearly this wasn't a high-budget flick. Casper was in it and they don't find them much cheaper than him.
Plus the shooting sequence that started around 57:21, what director would give that a thumbs up? Ryan's never ending bullets was out of control. I stopped counting at 30 shots. Sure, he could've picked up magazines from those he beat up or killed, but that should've been part of the flick.
But overall the story line flowed well and the characters that were relatively unknown did a decent job and should be commended.
If you like CIA/Special Ops flicks, this isn't 'horrible' and a good springboard back for Ryan who lost his job on the TV show Shooter.
Sputnik (2020)
Thriller with a closing twist
Frankly, I don't like subtitles movies. I usually don't watch them because I find it difficult to watch both the visuals of the movie while concentrating on reading the subtitles. After the opening scenes I didn't care, I was already too interested in watching the plot unfold.
If this movie was filmed in English, or with Hollywood actors, I can't see it being any better. Director, Egor Abramenko and whoever cast this group of actors chose the best cast for the job, and they were exceptional in my opinion.
Some may say this is just another rip-off from previously made Hollywood blockbuster films. But isn't that true for almost all films? All directors and producers attempt to achieve the same success all horror and sci-fi films strive for? The plot is unlike others in how this movie unfolds, and continues to tease and taunt you for 110 minutes. The last 3 are just as important however, and they help us conclude the story.
So, not only does the movie ebb and flow very well, it also teases you with a sub-plot that waits until the last few moments to reveal itself.
Well worth the 113 minutes!
Emperor (2020)
A story told, and another story that misses an important point.
I've seen my share of Civil War movies, slave-trading, indentured service movies and all of them are consistent with the same themes. African tribes that won wars against other African tribes sold them into slavery, kept the women and children, and that theme repeated.
As slavery grew across Africa, 100's of years ago, it found it's way to Europe. After several decades of slavery growing in Europe it founds it's way to what would become North America, literally the last place slavery got it's foothold, and the place African Americans inaccurately place all of the blame.
In fact, what would become the last place slavery had a foothold, would become the place African Americans place all the blame for centuries of wrongdoing. But, that's not the story directors seem to want to tell.
Slavery was alive and well in 100's of countries many centuries before the US would ever be named or even discovered. Nobody but the US seems to be held responsible for it though, which is totally unwarranted. Convenient though considering the US is the richest nation on the planet though.
Perhaps my white privilege has me not thinking clearly, but I think it's time for all communities to stand up and be proud of who they are and stop blaming current generations for what their ancestors did. If they did, this would be a much better place to live for all of us.
I enjoyed the story, the acting, and the actors selected for this movie though and suggest it would be an entertaining 99 minutes of their time.
Above Suspicion (2019)
Decent use of 90 minutes
Being that this is based on a true story that I was aware of, this just filled in some context for what I already knew. So, the story line was followed quite well and the movie was well acted and well cast IMO.
Worth watching.
There's an error in the movie though, right near the end where Jasck Huston (as Mark Putnam) is giving his confession verbally to 2 other agents. He's hooked up to polygraph and I suppose it's to make the viewers believe that it confirms he's being truthful.
Any move that shows a polygraph scene where there's a confession is 100% not accurate.
The way a polygraph expert determines your truth or lie is by first setting a baseline. Say he/she shows you a 4 of spades and then asks you to say "No" when he says it the 4 of spades. They'll also ask questions like for you to lie about your name or tell the truth about something they know.
Then they ask you about 10 questions, some are continued baseline questions and some are directly related to the crime you're being polygraphed for. At no time are you speaking out loud or offering anything other than NO or YES as a response.
They're done with you and 1 other person in a room with no outside windows and nothing on the walls and you're staring at a blank wall looking away from the polygraph officer.
Are they too boring to be factual in a movie? Maybe, but I think directors need to stop producing false, easy to verify information.
The Dustwalker (2019)
Not Stephen King, but not bad either.
If an alien creature landed somewhere on earth I suspect this is about what would happen. People would be unprepared, and totally unaware of what to do or how to protect themselves.
Sure, it was hokey in a few spots, but overall I didn't mind the movie. Even the characters fit in the parts they had.
This is just a low budget horror that managed to squeak out as a 50% in my opinion.
Batwoman (2019)
By episode 3 I'm staring at my screen with that "what the...................."???
First I read that people are questioning the entire premise of this show that spends all it's time focusing on a lesbian theme. That doesn't bother me a lot, but it does get old.
Now I have to listen to Rachel Maddow narrate as a radio show host?
So, on one side there's a lesbian chasing a closet lesbian, and on the other there's a narrow minded anti Conservative who just doesn't care about logic and facts who spends all of her time bashing 1/2 of the US electorate.
I'll try a few more episodes, but I wonder what other curves will be thrown my way?
The Last Full Measure (2019)
Well cast, well acted, and wonderfully directed.
I'm not sure what type of person wouldn't enjoy this movie. Maybe someone never touched by an armed conflict directly, maybe someone who believes peaceful tactics are the best defense? I'm not certain.
But I am certain this movie is worth the 90 minutes. Movies packed with well-know talent tend to do fairly well, although I don't think those who gave their time for this project were in it for the fame, or even the money. It was a project that needed to be completed, and people needed to know who Airman William H. Pitsenbarger, Jr. was, and who he was for so many men that day in April 1966.
I'm confident in saying you'll enjoy this movie, perhaps not as much as I did, but it's worth investing your time in. It'll be 90 minutes well spent.
Rogue Warfare (2019)
Someone is missing from the cast and crew list.
And that person is a military adviser.
Set aside the script or casting choices, at least produce a war-time movie with advice from someone who's served out of country and at a forward base.
The technical flaws to this movie are almost to many to list. Things like not saluting the commander, not saying sir, yes sir etc., are common, but not the worst mistakes. They include things like no sit-rep before heading out for your mission, no briefing showing where, when, and how they'll be operating, and not assigning a team leader. And then being on mission arguing about how to move forward or when to do it.
Besides that, 6 highly qualified soldiers from 6 different countries don't act identically in the field. They may have identical objectives, but they would not, could not act as a single unit without extensive training drills together. That's why groups like the Seals practice as a team, so they know what each other is thinking. This movie suggests it's just in their head before they ever meet or go on mission.
I was especially interested in the way terrorists were displayed. All dressed identical, and none of them holding their weapons or having them beside where they're sitting at all times. Well that's just ridiculous. Terrorists and soldiers alike have their weapons with them at all time in a forward camp. Watching terrorists file by picking up AK-47's would just never happen.
There were also technical flaws in minor things like the groups fatigues not fitting. As well, several times when on mission you can see people constantly adjusting their helmets and wearing poorly fitted fatigues.
This movie's title suggests 6 people will be acting outside of standard military rules in order to achieve an objective. The men and women of this team would be designated as nobodies, no dog tags, no names, no country insignia, no division of the military, and when one is captured, no return to save them. Yet everyone seems to be wearing US styled dog tags, US insignia on all US soldiers, Army on at least one, all wearing US fatigues, plus Russian and UK soldiers wearing US Army insignia.
What shocked me the most began early in the film. The man tasked by the President to form this group and lead them would've been a General. A Commander in the US military is Naval, not Army.
I'll watch the other 2 movies in this trilogy, but I sincerely hope they hired someone who'd actually served to advise them.
Deputy (2020)
A little bit county, a little bit LA
I thoroughly enjoyed this series. Everybody is cast perfectly and upholds not only their character, but their job too.
To have a cop act like a bad guy all the time just isn't correct. They're loyal to their task at hand and with the exception of a very small percentage, they focus through the eyes of the law. This series exemplifies that perfectly.
In one scene late in the season an adversary of the protagonist proves his loyalty to the law, and to a man who wants nothing more than to uphold it. It's almost touching to watch him relinquish his embedded angst for him.
If you enjoy police themed television I promise this series won't disappoint. I'm very much looking forward to Season 2!!
Altered Carbon (2018)
Is it just me?
Am I the only one who misses Joel Kinnaman?
I loved Season 1 and couldn't wait to watch the next episode. A perfect series to binge.
Now I struggle to get to the next episode and wonder what attempts at twists and plot turns the writers will throw at us.
You could see how Kinnaman was near unstoppable and Anthony Mackie works great in a military flying suit, but as his replacement? I just don't get it.
This series may fall flat, but to be honest I'm only on E4. Things could rise to the occasion in the final 4 episodes.
Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (2020)
That's a hundred and eight minutes wasted.
I'm in my 60's and have always gotten a kick out of super-hero themed movies. I expected nothing less from this.
I'm not saying I expected flying things, and special weapons secretly embedded into a fancy belt. Or supernatural abilities along with a rope that makes you tell the truth. No, I expected to see Harley Quinn, the Joker's ex doing things. Is that too much to ask?
Now, had the 'Birds of Prey' idea kicked in about 1/2 way into the movie, had the main characters taken on the worst of the worst to save the day? Then, that would've been epic. But that was not to be.
Instead you're subjected to 108 minutes that are slow moving, poorly scripted fight scenes and a story line you'd think would never get produced. But here we are. And to think lists that this movie received 10 nominations for awards..
Don't waste your time. This is not worth it, and your time is valuable.
Tales from the Hood 2 (2018)
History needs to be remembered accurately.
When you watch a movie like this, that's trying to give you a message, most people listen and learn. That's their flaw, to listen, learn and not verify.
This is a movie that's telling you 3 stories about the trials and tribulations of African Americans in the United States. Two of the stories focus on African Americans and slavery in the US south throughout the 1800's to current. One points towards the effects of 100 years of racism through the eyes of African American drug dealers.
In one story an individual claims a doll carries over 100 years of racism that was created in America, and it traveled to England, Australia and beyond. That's of a lie. It was born in Africa created by Africans.
African Americans came from defeated African tribal wars. The tribes that won put the women and children to work as slaves in their tribes and sold the men into slavery in other tribes, and to slave traders who traveled by ship to other nations. Clearly one of them was the United States, but that type of slavery was born, and honed by African tribes, not the United States.
Another story tries to take on politics as it relates to slavery in the US south, but it does it as if a Democrat was telling the story. Had a historian told the story it would've sounded more like this.
Throughout the early 1800 (though it had been happening since about 1620) the slave trade thrived. Ships would arrive with 100's of new men and women to be sold into servitude. The Democrats of the south would buy men and women to pick cotton and work as butlers and maids in their homes. Some of those Democrats were black, although most were white.
The US Civil war started in 1861 as a war of Democrats of the south against Republicans of the north over the enslavement of black people. The Democrats of the south wanted it, and the Republicans of the north declared it was unconstitutional.
In 1863 Lincoln issued a preliminary "Emancipation Proclamation" stating that slaves should be freed as states came under Union control. In April of 1865 Robert E Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant bringing the Civil War to and end.
In December of 1865, funded by the DNC and hundreds of Democrats, a new terror was born all dressed in white with hoods. The KKK reigned in the south for decades controlling blacks no matter what right they were given by the Government.
Between 1865 and 1965 multiple bills giving rights to African Americans (voting, owning property, women voting, owning businesses etc), and virtually all of them had mass support by the Republican party and little or no support from the Democrats.
There are numerous theories as to why the Democrats suddenly decided to distance themselves from the KKK and enact a persona that they were pro-African American starting in 1965, but the logical reason was to secure votes.
Thank you to those who've made it this far, and if you watched the movie you'll understand what I've included in my review, and it's all verifiable data. Oddly enough that verifiable data stands in contrast to what this movie is telling you, which is just a story. Nothing more.