OnlyAtJMart Reviews

Baby Reindeer (2024)

I gave her tea

[9/10 · 16 April 2024]

I was looking for something to watch casually. The premise seemed interesting and the ratings were unusually high for a limited series that I hadn't heard about yet. I had no idea what I was in for. I thought I was going into a bizarre stalker story, which in a sense it was, but it's full meaning goes much deeper and darker than I was expecting. A few things I saw coming, others took me by surprise. This is a story about the unhealthy ways one tends to deal with pain and trauma. I didn't expect such a gut-punch of a story. Made all the more intense because it actually happened. You don't necessarily have to experience what the people in this story experienced, to identify with them. This is a rare story that is quite powerful, very well told, and grabbed me by the throat at several times by the end. I don't rate things 9/10 very often, but this absolutely deserves it. It's not always an easy watch, but I fully recommend you see it.

Lady Ballers (2023)

What were they trying to accomplish?

[1/10 · 25 March 2024]

Because if it was making an objectively funny, entertaining movie, they failed. This just the folks at Daily Wire, having fun taking digs at the things they don't like about the modern world.

This was not a genuine attempt at just making an enjoyable, funny movie without pushing an agenda, something they complain about from other movie studios.

However, unless you've never seen anything The Daily Wire has produced, or haven't heard of anything they have discussed before, this is just business as usual.

If it was just a "funny" movie, that was not made to be didactic, where was the comedy? What was entertaining about this movie?

If you didn't laugh, you aren't the target audience member, even though it was "made for everyone."

They also break very basic "year one film school" rules. It's clear that they don't know how to develop a character, write realistic dialogue, craft a coherent plot that holds up throughout the movie, or even understand basic plot structure.

They have lights, sets, costumes, a steady cam...etc. But that doesn't make them good or even adequate filmmakers. They couldn't have hired a consultant to catch all the basic filmmaking mistakes? They couldn't have had someone polish the script so there wouldn't be so many storylines, or scenes that just end with no real conclusion?

They also have people go on rants that are completely out of character, because they wrote it, but couldn't figure out how to include it organically, so they just have random characters go off. Like, one character rants about divorce statistics, out of nowhere, and "her" rant is completely out of character.

Could it be that this just wasn't a good movie by any stretch of the imagination, unless you had a certain set of beliefs before you even saw it? Was it just a publicity stunt, that takes aim at a certain group of people?

Instead of just making this a skit, something they might be able to pull off with their lack of basic filmmaking knowledge, they made a whole movie, but didn't know what they were doing, or have enough to say, to make it work.

I'm sure the people who did like it would say something like, "you just didn't like it because of the people that made it." Well, you'd be half right. Sure, I am biased because I am not a fan of the folks at The Daily Wire, but that doesn't make it even a decently made movie, by default.

It is quite objective to say this was poorly made. Someone not familiar with the filmmaking process might not be able to articulate exactly what is off about this movie, but you'll notice.

What confuses me is Matt Walsh's involvement. Not that he's in it, but the fact that, while biased, and skewed to appeal to those with zero understanding of the subject, Matt Walsh made a documentary that at least looked professional.

Maybe The Daily Wire should stick to making biased documentaries, with cherry-picked half-truths.

This movie isn't anything new. It's just a group of inexperienced people, making a movie in the same vein as the movies they complain about, just with a different agenda.

Dune: Part Two (2024)

This is all of my business!

[8/10 · 10 March 2024]

While I enjoyed the first Dune very much, I prefer part 2 (the second half of the first book). While the source material is almost 60 years old, the notion of using "prophecy" as a means to control the masses, is as relevant today as it was then. I really like book adaptations where it's clear that the director is passionate and respectful of the source material. It's no secret the Villeneuve has loved Dune and planned on making his own version before he even made a movie. He even did Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 first, as to have the experience making sci-fi movies, so he felt adequately prepared to tackle Dune. It's too bad that he will not be adapting any more Dune books after Messiah. If you thought that Dune was still "boring" as I've heard some say, maybe sagas that are allegories for morals, religion and politics, aren't for you.

Rick and Morty: Rise of the Numbericons: The Movie (2023) Season 7, Episode 8

Pretty bad... even for half an episode

[4/10 · 12 December 2023]

The whole "Water-T" plot didn't need to be explored further. I don't know who was clamoring for that, or what made them think we, as an audience, were. This feels like a rejected B plot. The fact that there is no A/B plot, just, whatever this was, and it's half the length of a usual episode just confirms that further. I feel like the episodes went down in quality from the Rick Prime episode to this one. Was this half episode just used as filler to get to 10 episodes this season? I hope so, that's better than saying this was episode was a solid effort from the writers. They actually got Ice-T to play a character this time, what a waste!

The Marvels (2023)

The messiest MCU movie ever made

[4/10 · 12 November 2023]

Anyone who heard the news about this project knows that the production was a nightmare, and it shows in the final product here. It's like they couldn't figure out what direction to go, so they made 4 versions, and blended them together. Which would explain the high budget, the 5 delays, and the reshoots. Kamala's character was probably the best part of the movie. I promise you, the script did her no favors, but she stood out. Her acting was in line with her character. This was probably an exciting opportunity for her, and she wasn't going to let a bad script, and production problems stop her from giving a great effort. However, the story, the dialogue, the musical gimmick, the weak villain. It just didn't work. I don't think the blame lies solely with the actors, or even the director, who did lack the experience for helming a movie with a budget this size. I think Disney interfered heavily with the production, which almost always yields bad results. I think it was doomed to fail. They put so much pressure on this being successful, they forgot to make it coherent, unique, or interesting.

Loki: Glorious Purpose (2023) Season 2, Episode 6

The first spark of hope for Marvel in years.

[9/10 · 10 November 2023]

Disney has not been doing well. They seem to be hiring inexperienced writers so the studio can interfere, add all their notes, and then do reshoots to make the story somewhat coherent, without pushback. Which is why I believe all the experienced filmmakers kept leaving over "creative differences." Show me a great movie where the writer(s)/director took a back seat to what the studio wanted, that worked out better for the film in the end. I have been keeping an eye on what Disney has been doing and saying, but I see no changes for the better so far, until this episode. I am not impressed with Kang as a major villain. I can't imagine he would be a threat for the Avengers. Most of season 2 of Loki played like a 90's sitcom, minus the laugh track. However, the last episode of Loki stood out as something I haven't seen from Marvel in years. I don't know what they Disney differently on this last episode, but they need to keep doing it. I kept expecting it to end uneventfully, but they really did a good job with the finale. I hope someone was taking notes, because this was the first step in the right direction for Marvel since 2019.

Saw X (2023)

Surprisingly good for a 10th installment

[7/10 · 26 October 2023]

I've seen every movie in the Saw franchise. I would say that this (despite the obvious age difference of Amanda and John) not only fits well in the lore, but was actually a compelling story. This isn't a story about some protégé, or story that takes place in the Saw universe. John Cramer/Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) is front and center here, and does an excellent job. I would say that this is probably the best one they've done since Saw 2. 3 had its moments, but the Jeff storyline didn't work for me. The others had their moments too, but with some exceptions, they ultimately got progressively worse. I hope the success with the audience on this entry, doesn't lead to more entries, unless they can make more that are at least as good as this one. However, the history of this franchise tells me, that isn't likely.

Blue Beetle (2023)

Better than expected, but could have been better

[6/10 · 18 August 2023]

So with the superhero genre turning out quite a bit of disappointment, my expectations weren't high going into this. While it was better than I expected, they could have made it great, and set it apart from every other superhero story. The family dynamic was good, but there's a lot of corny jokes, just like every coming of age superhero movie. They could have made it more serious and dramatic. They should have explored the suits abilities more. They could have made a better villain. They could have tried something other than the same old "going up against someone with similar powers but they are evil/brainwashed" trope. I wouldn't say it's a bad movie, but it's definitely not going to change any minds about the genre.

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

Very delighted at what this franchise became

[8/10 · 15 July 2023]

So after MI 2, I tuned out. Recently, I caught the opening to MI 3, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman's performance alone got me interested in the franchise again. Despite all the plot "conveniences" in this entry that are common with action movies, such as the trope of everything going wrong, but it all ends up being okay, or part of the heroes plans all along, yet it was withheld from the audience, so it's an unexpected victory, I really enjoyed this one. I'm not going to say which happens here, but the franchise has been guilty of both. However, it's done well enough, that it's forgivable. Most of all, I really like the fact that this movie is part 1 of 2 movies to end the franchise, yet it told a complete story, or at least it ended at a conclusive place, before they continue the rest of the story in part 2. I'm looking at you, Across the Spiderverse. (A great, yet incomplete movie)

The Crow (1994)

It can't rain all the time

[8/10 · 11 July 2023]

There are a lot of movie that fall into some kind of superlative category. Most satisfying ending, most profanity, etc.

This movie would fall into the most goosebump inducing.

I don't think they will ever be able to make another version of this story, and capture the tone, heart, sadness, anger, vengeance, and overall spirit of this movie.

It was lightning in a bottle. Much like Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight.

The fact that it was released in 1994, and still heavily surpasses most modern day movies, is a testament great and rare this movie is.

I wish they would stop trying to remake this. They will never make another Crow movie as good as this, and I'll eat a book if they do!

Black Mirror: Beyond the Sea (2023) Season 6, Episode 3

Finely acted, nice concept, but drawn out, and predictable and

[6/10 · 17 June 2023]

Aaron Paul does double duty acting here. Shame he isn't in more things because he is a superb actor. The story, while good could have been edited down halfway. In addition to that, one thing doesn't make any sense. Why wouldn't they send replicants to space and keep the human counterparts on Earth? They can do everything, but don't need to eat, shower, use the bathroom etc. If there's a catastrophic disaster, no life would have been lost. Also, a cult being upset about remote astronauts as opposed to remote people living on Earth would have just seemed silly. They manufactured the drama and eeriness by switching the logical thing to do. It's like Armageddon when they teach drillers to go to space, instead of teaching astronauts to drill. In any real life situation, no one would make that decision so backwards. They did it for the sake of manufactured conflict. If they did the logical thing, there would have been no story.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

Great movie, but...

[8/10 · 4 June 2023]

I absolutely hate when a movie exists solely to be part 1 of a 2 part movie. I'm not talking about a complete movie, with plenty of room for a sequel like the first one. I am talking about a 4-5 hour story, broken up in 2 parts and released a year apart. Some don't even have 4-5 hours of material, they just stretch out each movie so they can make it 2 movies. Even if you make one story a 2 part event, spaced a year apart, at least conclude the movie you set up. Don't make the first of a 2 part movie be all setup, and raised stakes, and then just end it on a cliffhanger. This is so obviously a studio move, to capitalize on as much money as possible. Much like how Tarantino wanted Kill Bill to be one movie with an intermission, but the studio wanted it to be 2 parts, released a year apart. They always do this with popular movies too. They started this in the early 2000's with the Matrix sequels and Kill Bill. Lord of the Rings is an exception where I agree with this strategy. They did it with The Hobbit, which did not work. They also did it with Twilight, and Hunger Games, another mistake. Anyone who has seen Kill Bill as one movie will tell you it should have stayed one movie. Part 2 was so boring compared to part 1. The whole movie together, while long, is so much better, and doesn't have that cheesy direct to camera narration in part 2. ...but the studios wanted the most money. If you look at the track record of this, it's rarely a good idea. Make a complete movie, and follow it up with another complete movie. Don't make people wait 5 years to see a sequel, only to give us 1/2 a movie, and wait a year for the second half. Don't get me wrong, this movie was really well done, but I wanted a whole movie.

Fool's Paradise (2023)

I like the concept, but execution wasn't quite there

[5/10 · 19 May 2023]

I saw this because I liked the story, from what I gathered from the trailer. I am also a big fan of Charlie Day. I think the concept is great. A virtual blank slate, adopted by Hollywood, manipulated into benefiting their own needs, and everyone projects their own feelings onto him. I think the execution left quite a bit to be desired though. There was so much more that they could have explored, but it was a bit too silly and nonsensical for its own good. It didn't really go anywhere either. It was more of a "bunch of stuff happens" type of movie, than one with a meaningful narrative. While I wanted to like this, especially considering it's great cast, it fell short of anything exceptionally funny or meaningful. Sorry Charlie.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

Another example of Gunn's talents

[8/10 · 10 May 2023]

I had a feeling that I would like this. It had a proper balance of heart, drama, comedy, and a compelling story. This was a movie that should have come out years ago, though. I thought the ending would be different, given that this is the last entry in Gunn's Guardians trilogy. However, even though it wasn't what I expected, I wouldn't want anything to be changed. It's a good experience when a movie doesn't give you what you expected, and you enjoy it even more. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that this is the last good Marvel movie for a while, unless they make some serious changes. They need to talented, experienced writers and directors like they used to. Make a fun, entertaining movie, that isn't pushing an agenda. Stop making everything episodic, and make one quality project at a time. Not a variation of intertwined shows and movies that aren't good on their own, or even form a compelling narrative when added together. Phase 4 is a perfect example of this, and Quantumania doesn't inspire confidence that this formula is going to change in phase 5, either. This movie was better than all of phase 4 combined, minus No Way Home, which wasn't entirely Marvel's work anyway. Marvel, take what has worked in the past, take notes, hire some talented writers/filmmakers, and stop making everything have a social or political message. Also, I have never seen a movie that was made better by studio interference. Filmmakers do their best when they are competent to begin with, and are left alone to make their project. Stop hiring people that have never worked on a movie before, and have the studio make all of the major decisions. As you can see, it hasn't been working very well.

Evil Dead Rise (2023)

Surpassed the 2013 remake. Worth watching

[7/10 · 22 April 2023]

I was excited in 2013 when they made the first Evil Dead remake. I don't know why everyone loves that movie now, but at the time, a lot more people didn't like it, than did. I was one of the disappointed ones and still am. I reserved my opinion on this one, because even though it looked good, I had been fooled before. I have to say, despite the lack of any real plot, I did enjoy this one. Buckets of gore, and some genuinely creepy scenes. A couple of slight nods to Evil Dead 2, and overall, and the scenes themselves made up for its lack of story. I honestly don't think it is worthy of multiple viewings, but I enjoyed the time I spent watching it. It was worth it. Nothing really stood out as cringe worthy. It really didn't hold back on the violence either. So if that's what you're looking for, you'll enjoy it.

Renfield (2023)

A fun but forgettable movie

[6/10 · 21 April 2023]

The movie doesn't take itself too seriously, with the over the top gore, and Nick Cage being Nick Cage. There are some entertaining action sequences highlighted by comedy and violence.

However the initial story of Dracula's henchman, Renfield, tired of living a life of servitude -and not much else- attempting to stand up for himself, doesn't go very deep.

Sure you could say that the whole movie was an excuse to be silly, and over the top, but it had moments that showed it cared more about the story than that.

In that respect, it fell flat. The chemistry between Hoult and Awkwafina didn't work. It was quite predictable, and contained a lot of clichés from various crime movies over the past 20 years.

Anyway, if you are just looking watch a silly, violent, Nick Cage vehicle, with a modern Dracula, and don't care about the story, you will be pleased.

Cats (2019)

Some weird practical joke?

[1/10 · 13 April 2023]

The director, screenwriter, and cast, with the quality of their resumes, produced this? Someone made this as a joke. It has to be. There is no way any accomplished filmmaker, actor, producer, or special effects artist, worked on any of this and thought it would be anything other than physically painful to watch. Every choice made while adapting this was just wrong. They had the budget to make them all real cats. Or, if they HAD to use people in costumes, why did they go with this abominable hybrid that makes everyone involved look stupid? I understand you have to perform in some silly situations when CGI is involved, but they emphasized the cringe inducing behavior. The CGI did nothing but add to the monstrosity this ended up being. There is no amount of drugs in Hollywood that would have made this seem a reasonable effort. This was some kind of practical joke, or someone had some serious dirt on the cast and crew, as I don't know how any professional was involved in this. Maybe James Corden.

Scream VI (2023)

Entertaining but goofy

[6/10 · 22 March 2023]

I will say this one tried harder than the others and succeeded in a lot of areas with writing and tension. It was still weighed down by some tired old tropes, over the top acting, silly one-liners, dumb meta humor and cartoonish reveals (very much like the first one, honestly). It's like when the newer Bond movies couldn't help themselves and say "shaken or stirred?" but had to throw in the "do I look like I give a damn?" line, to telegraph to the audience, "oh, this is different!" All that said, it was entertaining, but it had a considerable amount of silliness that took away from it being as good as it could have been. You can also tell the script wasn't fully changed after Neve Campbell refused to come back, as they still made a couple of specific references to her character, but didn't explain her absence.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)

What a dud!

[4/10 · 19 March 2023]

I already lowered my expectations for this movie the moment I saw the trailer. They had the scene where Shazam is unloading his issues to a doctor, only for him to say he's a pediatrician. I liked that joke the first time I heard it, in 2008, in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. The movie itself is full of eye rolling jokes, aimed at children. The stakes felt so low, and it's super predictable.

This is probably the 3rd or 4th worst DCEU movie I've seen. Right behind Suicide Squad, the original cut of Justice League, and Batman V Superman. I can't say there's one scene that stands out and is done better than most of the movie because there isn't one. It's all a blur of blandness.

Anyone that is wondering why James Gunn and Peter Safran were hired to reshape the DCEU, this is why. This is the best they can do. The Flash might end up being an exception, but one good movie amongst a bunch of bad ones does not make a successful cinematic universe.

I'm sorry. I try to give credit where credit is due, but this movie doesn't deserve any. The first movie wasn't great, but it at least had a couple of funny/enjoyable moments. Not this time.

The Whale (2022)

"I need to know I've done one right thing with my life"

[8/10 · 16 March 2023]

Darren Aronofsky always makes hard hitting movies about characters who are stuck in unhealthy habits. So I knew going in that this was gonna be a very sad look at the character. The Whale works extremely well. Fraser was also absolutely instrumental in making it work. I think he is so naturally wholesome and kind, he really makes you feel for his character. The biggest thing Charlie seems to value is honesty, even if it's meant to be hurtful. The film does an extremely good job at showing the pain and regret of someone who has let their emotions lead them so far down a dark path, that there's no going back, but there may be time to right one wrong. The line "I need to know I've done one thing right with my life" hit a lot harder than I expected. You don't have to be dying from complications of morbid obesity to identify with that at some point in your life. I thought this was a painfully beautiful film, and Fraser deserves all the praise he's getting for it.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

Fun to watch, if you turn off your brain

[5/10 · 17 February 2023]

I like Paul Rudd. I think he's naturally charming and really funny. I really wanted for this Ant-Man to do well, as the other 2 were just okay, and didn't do well in the box office either. Unfortunately this isn't the hit movie that changes things for Ant-Man or Marvel. It has some good moments, and cool visuals. However if you look a little deeper, a lot of things stand out. Like the fact that they were harvesting quantum energy from the quantum realm in the post credits of the last movie, yet Janet didn't seem concerned, even though she is very worried about the quantum realm, which they show in the trailer, so it's not something you'd only gather from watching the movie. Her backstory was kept quiet because they hadn't thought of it yet. Usually they keep things open for other Marvel movies, but this story felt very tacked on for the sake of this movie. Hope had some moments, but very little dialogue. Also, I thought I dozed off, as this movie seemed to jump from a long first act, to the third act. Jonathan Majors (Kang) does all the heavy lifting in this movie. His story, and his motivations seem the most developed. I wouldn't call this a bad movie, but they didn't knock it out of the park, by any means. It seems like Marvel has been in this post-Endgame slump that they haven't been able to break out of.

Empire of Light (2022)

Not bad, just quite dull

[5/10 · 10 February 2023]

I really like Sam Mendes as a director. I love Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (who scored the film). I was excited to see this for both reasons.

Unfortunately, although I don't find it bad per say, it was quite dull. I had to watch it twice, as I fell asleep the first time. I thought I was just tired. This wasn't the only reason, as I rewatched it wide awake, and that reinforced my feelings about it.

It's just not very exciting. It wasn't very deep, and I could not relate to any of the characters. It seems like all of the ingredients were there, but the film itself was very good , and didn't really go anywhere. The cast, director, and score are quite good. It just didn't entertain me.

Your Honor: Part Twelve (2023) Season 2, Episode 2

How to make a show that just sets up one moment

[6/10 · 26 January 2023]

A lot of shows tell a story that is fully realized when the season/series is over. Great ones make the journey to the end exciting and enjoyable along the way. Not Your Honor. The show is full of a bunch of "that's going to be important later" moments, and not much else. It's like watching a bunch of puzzle pieces wander around, until they end up where they are supposed to go. This show is a lot of "wait and see" nonsense. It feels empty because the story is something that could be resolved in an hour or two, but they stretch it out, and pretend it's suspenseful. Pretty much what I have seen so far in the 2nd season is people walking around staring at others, and low energy monotone dialogue. I love Bryan Cranston, but this is not a project that showcases his talents.

Bones and All (2022)

I really wanted to like it

[5/10 · 11 December 2022]

*Only Mild Spoilers* This had all of the makings of a great character piece based on a dark concept. However, it fell short of significance. The whole titular "Bones and All" speech is an indicator of the movie's shortcomings. It is implied that it is a point in an "eater's" life that is a benchmark, and point of no return, yet it is not explored further than said speech. Considering that it is the title of the film, one might draw a conclusion that it is a significant point the film is expected to visit before it concludes. It never does. Which is a perfect allegory to the potential this film had, yet failed to execute. Beyond that, the character's choices are so random, it's almost like they decided what each character would do next, at random. One character connects with another, then abruptly leaves that character, only to reconnect with them later, either through chance, or as a result of simply changing their mind about leaving them behind to begin with. So, what I was hoping was going to be a character-driven, darkly conceptual romance, ended up being a forgettable "bunch of stuff happens" movie. It's a shame.

Smile (V) (2022)

Not the generic movie I anticipated from the trailer

[7/10 · 21 October 2022]

So I thought this was going to be a typical, paint by numbers, cheesy horror movie. It's actually enjoyable. From the trailer, it looked like a movie that relied on jump scares only. However, it was unsettling, and well acted. Not a masterpiece, but definitely better than I thought it was going to be. The main character's turn from a logical doctor, to a person who she herself would have written off as someone just suffering from mental health issues was portrayed well. If you like movies like this, you'll be surprised that it's a step above other movies in the same category of horror. Genuinely creepy, and well written for what it is, I would recommend it to anyone who likes these type of horror movies, but are tired of the underwhelming entries from others who can't quite pull off a movie like this, without making it silly.