Reviews
War on Everyone (2016)
Ridiculous But Not In A Funny Way
I was expecting something with clever comedy, but instead it just had some over the top dumb situations that made the two cops not just seem incompetent, but down right criminal themselves. Their incompetence and their behavior would never slip by like that. I made it a third of the way through.before I just couldn't endure the stupidity anymore. As some other reviewer pointed out the characters here have no charisma so you are left not really caring about any of them. This reminds me of another horrible cop movie "The Other Guys." They too were just unlikable so I didn't last through that movie either...Hey! A comedy needs to be funny..Nit just improbable.
Matlock (2024)
I tapped Out Early
I think most of the really good ratings were happy about the stars so they never really noticed just how pat the series is. I missed the pilot, but I saw the second show and tapped out within fifteen minutes. I think it's a mixture between the writing and directing, but it comes across as silly and everything is like from a bad sitcom. In other words it's all so predictable that it gets boring. Someone already mentioned some of her co-workers have personalities that makes you dislike them from the beginning, but then they just keep getting under our skin with their dumb and annoying actions. There's a scene in the court room regarding using sport connections about a team the judge was a huge fan of to beg for a continuance. That was so out of the left field that I tapped out at that point. If it was going to be that silly then I really have no time for it...
High Potential (2024)
Needs Some Changes
Why does Hollywood use the same old formula whenever they start a series where a genius has insights with evidence that others miss? They can't be normal with high intelligence. They need to have some odd condition that makes them quirky in some manner. Unless it's an updated Sherlock Holmes then he's just plain a jerk to most people he comes into contact with. The genius here is pretty so naturally she being a genius with three children is going to fashion herself so she looks like a street walker. Her mind is like an encyclopedia, but apparently her real expertise is in all things related to what a domestic cleaning lady knows. None of that is necessary. She has a famil to create enough actual back story without making her an oddball. Start letting her dress nice without looking like a lot lizard down at the truck stop. Watching her solve things is the real attraction after all..
Just Go with It (2011)
Actually Better Than I Expected
For me Adam Sandler is a real hit or miss guy in his own productions. Often I am not all that impressed. This picture had some really funny moments that were even funnier because they came across so natural. I find so many comedies fall way short of being funny comedies because too often they seem like most tv sitcoms that you can see the humor a long way away as it's being delivered.
The children in this were great too. Each child turned out to be really savvy negotiators, and little con artists to boot. The way they squeezed Sandler was some of the funniest parts of the movie. Jennifer Anniston is really great in most comedies I've seen her in. She really has great timing when playing off Sandler...
Battle Creek Brawl (1980)
I Give A Six For A Good Effort
I too agree that the movie was quite a bit below the standards we are used to in a Jackie Chan movie, but as I read here this was a first time movie in America. Apparently the director wasn't that good at plotting fight scenes. If not for Jackie's high level of skill the movie would have really tanked, but Jackie was able to keep the action interesting enough to want to continue.
I don't usually include spoilers, but there's two points I want to discuss. That is that there are two major contests. One is a roller skate race and the other is a brawl as the title suggests. These are both set up in a fashion that defies logic. In the race they start in a building, then go outside around some street area, then back in the building. In the brawl they basically start in the street, but then can end up in any building by any means while destroying property along the way. If these events are competitions set up to make money from the spectators and from gambling then who would want to see the action disappear as it does in both events? There's absolutely no sense in either. I understand it's to show several different battle scenes, but I think they could have figured some that were more probable than these were.
American Outlaws (2001)
A Good Old TV Type Of Western
I can understand how some are very disappointed that this movie has very little to do with the actual history. To me it reminds me of the made for tv westerns from the 70's where even though there was bullets flying everywhere hardly any seemed to find their target. Of course it's been pointed out that the movie seems to make the outlaws good guys, but in reality they were considered that because they actually helped a lot of the people who were struggling after the war. Was the Rail Road baron that low down and evil? Many were and we still see much of that same behavior today with some individuals worth billions. So the bottom line is even though they played really loose with the actual history.... Much of it was indeed very plausible...And very entertaining...
Muzzle (2023)
Looked Promising
When I saw mixed reviews prior to watching the movie I figured the negative reviews were people with higher expectations. In the beginning the show did seem promising especially after seeing the trailer. The problem was about a quarter of the way in things just made less and less sense. They made it more complicated than they needed it to be. They had characters that really made little to no sense in the story (Like the homeless guy who demanded a toll for crossing a public walking bridge...It had no connection to the story.
My biggest problem was with the dogs part in the story. These well trained dogs are trained to work with their partner when given instructions in the German language. When the first dog laid down when the guy they were chasing gave the order that was completely ridiculous. A well trained dog will not obey others order even if someone can speak German. The main reason they train like that is so in all the other language a cop and K-9 unit are dealing with in a situation the dog will not be confused by others speaking English or Spanish or such and know exactly what the handler expects.
I pretty much blame the writing. Had the story been less confusing and more realistic instead of this lone wolf attitude it could have been pretty good. As is it's not much of a story.
The Beekeeper (2024)
It Was Fun
I get a kick out of those commenting how the action was good, but the plot and acting was silly. That is what action movies generally are. A modern Ninji who is an army of one who takes on an army. Granted a highly trained person might be able to do some damage, but there's no way he could go against other highly trained military and still defeat them as a army of one..
In a Statham movie the fight scenes do have one measure of truth. He dispatches them pretty quick and they are out of the fight. Not like some action flicks where they give them damaging blows, but they keep coming back...Except once here. That Scottish guy was like that, but otherwise when he took care of them they were done...
All in all it was a fun watch.... Especially because who doesn't want to see scammers get what it coming to them?
17 Again (2009)
A Fun Flick
As I watched this I wondered if they tried to get Rob Low to play the adult Mike O'Donnell? He really looks a lot like what the young Mike would have looked like in seventeen years or so more than Mathew Perry who looks nothing like him. None the less the adult Mike O'Donnell wasn't in the movie all that long so it wasn't a big deal.
This movie has that age old fantasy of what you'd do if only you could have your teen years back again. In this case he's not that much older than the teens so he could fit in to a point. At 70 if I was suddenly 17 what the hell would I do being from another era all together? Although it was pretty funny early on when he showed up at the high school dressed like a 80's kid. The students couldn't figure what he was supposed to be.
All in all it was light hearted entertainment and fun...
Fargo: The Tragedy of the Commons (2023)
What A Season
I've seen the movie and all of the seasons prior to season five. Granted they all get dark, but this season seemed far darker than all the other seasons so far. I didn't quite understand why until that unbelievable finish. This had deep psychological plots throughout, and mixed in was the very dark truth of spouse abuse. Along with that there were several cat and mouse games going on between different characters. Add to that was some sort of Norse mysticism with one of the primary characters and this was the best Fargo to date. They will have a tough time topping this season, but I sure hope they do try. It helps that they had so much talent to work with. The last two episodes were real nail biters, but actually most were.
The Iron Claw (2023)
Good Start, But Slows Too Much
I haven't been a wrestling fan for many years, but I recognize "Handsome" Harley Race and Rick Flare so the story goes back quite a ways. I just don't recall the brothers so I didn't know the story. I was thinking it was going to be more about their wrestling career than all the tragedies in the family. The movie was pretty good for two thirds of it, but then to me it became tedious and difficult to continue as tragedies happened and everything slowed down. Otherwise the acting was quite good...Well that is except for some of the matches. I'm sure it's tough to look like real wrestling if you are not a wrestler or maybe a stunt person. Sometimes between them doing their own action and not enough camera trickery some of the wrestling did seem to fall just a bit short...
Bookie (2023)
So Much Fun
When I first read the description I didn't think I would like it because I generally don't care anything with degenerate gamblers in it. Fortunately I watched the trailer. The laughs I got from it made me check out the series. My one complaint is it is only eight episodes this season. It has been renewed so hopefully there will be more episodes next season...
What sets this apart is they are not the kind of bookies you usually see in movies. They sometimes act like they will break limbs, but in the end they don't do business that way because they want to keep business above board. So when some collage kid steals jewelry from his step mother because he is convinced they will hurt him, and they decide to give the jewelry to the women in their lives rather than fence them it ends up backfiring on them in a very funny way.
All in all there's just so much subtle humor you have to catch and get good belly laughs. Unlike the humor on most regular channels sitcoms that slaps you across the face with it as well as a laugh track to let you know when it is supposed to be funny...This is a real gem.
Meet Dave (2008)
What A Fun Movie
I'm not sure how I missed this one before since it is from 2008, but I'm glad I checked it out. After watching the trailer I thought it looked pretty funny, and it was. Unlike some trailers it didn't have most of the funny parts because there was a lot of them throughout the movie. As others mentioned it is a movie for the whole family, but also for those of us who watch a lot of action movies with violence. It's fun without getting soapy.
Besides the clean and funny humor it's a good family movie because it also teaches a lesson in learning living skills from a culture much different then the one you were raised in. In fact the ending really had a set up for a second movie, but apparently it didn't do well enough for a second try. That's too bad because there's a lot of talent here...
The Wrecking Crew! (2008)
Fantastic Indeed
If you listened to the hit singles in the 1960's then you heard these studio musicians play. They often took good songs and tweaked them to be great songs. If you really want the best experience then read or listen the book by the same name first. The difference is the book gets into the musicians backgrounds. Many just decided they wanted to play an instrument and mostly self taught themselves until they got good enough to join bands where they learned even more. The movie on the other hand is all these musicians and producers reminiscing about how it used to be. It's very interesting. I never listen to those old songs the same way. I hear the great music behind the singers.
Conan the Barbarian (2011)
Three Fourths Was Good
I read these bad reviews and thought they were just wanting what they've seen before and not something new. I was enjoying the movie, and then the last quarter the woman who the evil warlord wanted suddenly decides for no apparent reaso to sneak away from Conan while he slept to go where her mentor told her to go. I just hate scripts that suddenly toss away logic like that. From that point on there's a series of foolish incidents that defy logic. The biggest is the evil warlord takes on Conan himself with his nasty looking and acting witch daughter who earlier was suggesting letting her take her mother position with him....
There was good acting and great CG and special effects. It could have.been so much better if someone didn't take it down a dumb path about three quarters of the way through. Still. It is a fun watch if you like violent flicks. Unlike the original Conan movies this really didn't sprinkle comedy that was actually funny. Then again Arnold was pretty good with one liners. It became his trademark...
Justified (2010)
Great For Binge Watching
When it first came out I recorded it to my DVR to watch later. This is one of those series that leaves a bit of a cliff hanger every episode.
I think Elmore Leonard only covered a few of the stories that made it to the series, but because of the on going theme the stories were edited to fit in rather than to run the originals. What's great about his writings and I assume he had a huge influence in the series is the way he uses dialog to make the viewers really get involved with the story. You care enough to want to find out what happens next. In fact I just finished the series and I sure would like more, but that most likely won't happen. This really is one of my favorite series. I signed up with Hulu basically to rewatch the entire series after not seeing it for several years.
The Bourne Legacy (2012)
Good But Pushes Reality A Bit Too Much
As others have said it really covers the bases when it comes to a lot of great action here. What I found a bit much was just how easy and fast the CIA was able to track them at times. I realize they have a lot of tools at their fingertips, but I doubt they can find people quite that fast. Another thing that bothers me is the premise that because there "Might" be exposure to the program because of Jason Bourne and the former director that they decide to kill all the agents and lab people. Especially as the one general expressed how they finally got a agent into North Korea that's lasted where regular people didn't. That whole scenario lacks logic. On the other hand so did the idea that they needed to kill Jason Bourne because of a op that went bad. Let's hope they aren't that stupid.
You People (2023)
So Predictable It Truly Was Not Funny
I too tapped out about a third of the way through because it was just silly on top of silly. If I want to watch a really great movie dealing with a interracial couple and parents the I'll watch "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner." I think that movie took a more likely approach to the situation...Way back in the 1960's or early 70's. In this movie they just had so many people acting as if they just discovered they might need to actually talk to someone from a race different than their own...So naturally they over compensate in their awkwardness and make things so much worse. For me I had enough shortly after they went to his folks home. It was just over the top weird the way the parents behaved...I gave three stars only because there was good acting, but a bad script.... I also did not like all the artsy filming splashed long after the opening.
Father Stu (2022)
A Story With A lot Of Heart
As an old heathen I generally am not too interested in movies with a religious theme, but this really is a story about faith. Father Stu for over half the film seems very unlikely as someone who would become a priest. It's his journey to become one and the extreme trials he endures and learns from that makes this movie magic...I agree with others about Mark Warburg at least getting nominated for best actor. On the other hand there's many great actors in here too, and the writing is spot on. If there's one thing to complain about it's how a few times Stu sort of mumbled, but not too often.
I hope younger people find this movie and get into discussions about it. Especially around some of the theme involving change.
Polar (2019)
Dumb And Dumber Many Times, But With Guns
If not for Mads this would have really tanked completely, but he kept it somewhat interesting. If you liked all the mindless violence and killing over nothing in John Wick then this is probably for you, but it's so incredibly stupid...
First off there's this idea that there's a organization like Murder Inc. That's a real corporation who has top notch hit men and women who actually sign a contract to work with the firm and even build up a pension that they must get at 50 when they retire The catch is that if they die when the pension comes due, then it all goes back to the corporation. So the leader (Who is someone nobody would follow. He's more like someone who grew up getting beat up unless he was protected. A more unlikely main brain I've never seen) has his killers killed by hit teams. Teams of psychopath killers who just kill for fun. They overdo everything. There's about seven of them to do a two person job. They have a sniper so that and a spotter and that's all they need, but no...Some sex bomb has a thig about having sex with the person who is going to be killed to set them up someplace in line with the sniper.... So dumb.
First off.... I'm sure hit men would love to have signatures saying they were working for some organization that could be brought down some day. Secondly...What about those sent to kill? It isn't clear that it's going to be the same end for them? Who would work for him? Oh and Richard Dryfess has a minor part where he explains what's happening to Mads and refers to him as us as though he too was a hit man, but who must be in his 60's so how did he make it? Then he slips Mads something that knocks him out. He's captured, tortured, still finds a way out and kills maybe 30 guys, then makes it to a safe house where in a couple days he's good to go again. You do not heal that fast at 50.
All in all it's a lot of foolish killing, but no real substance even though they make a small attempt at it.
The Gray Man (2022)
This Is Not The Gray Man
This isn't the Gray Man from the books. In the books he's much smarter in how he sets things up. If he were someplace where crazy mercenaries were destroying a city and killing innocents he would opt to bug out to stop all that. Ryan Reynolds isn't as bulky as I imagined Cort Gentry, but he is smart and moves fast. He could come across as the Gray Man from the book...With a better script and better director not relying so much on CG? They need the people who put together the Bourne series to make it more like the books. He's much more like Bourne.
Walker (2021)
Not Much Here
Apparently there's people who like the family aspect of the show, but it's just way too simplistic. There's no real challenge to the show at all. Everything is absolutely obvious as you go on. The action if there is any is extremely low key. Just not for me.
Perry Mason (2020)
Everything Works So Damn Well
From the writing to the acting to the time period sets it all is put together so damn well that you just can't hardly stop once you get started. This starts out pretty horrible with a baby being held for ransom. Then it goes south from there.
This Perry Mason is kind of dark and seems like a bit of a bum at first. Underneath all that is that highly intelligent mind that helps him figure what's actually going n here. I really like this version of Perry much better.
Vikings: Valhalla (2022)
It Is Like The Next Chapter To The Vikings From Before
First I too think all these one star reviews are very eschewed from reality. I'm only guessing here, but I think many of the bad reviews are from people who hate the idea that Christians are shown to be really horrible, and often evil people. History actually proves there really was a lot of horror done all in the name of thei Christian beliefs at that time. So to hate this because it shows such horrible people basically speaks more about their own beliefs than the series.
The series itself introduces us to another very famous Viking Leif Ericsson before he went on to explore the globe as we learned of him. He's a hell of a captain, fighter, and strategist in battle. His sister will apparently do her part fighting Viking enemies as a Shield Madian. As for the other main characters I'm not very familiar with them historically. As such I don't get carried away if the script doesn't follow the actual history exactly. I want a good plausible story. If I wanted a documentary I'd look for it someplace else.
The Legend of Awesomest Maximus (2011)
Simply Beyond Awful a half star at best
I'm a long time fan of National Lampoon. Back when the humor was written by intelligent people who knew how to create great parody out of every day life. I watched ten minutes of this and came away thinking it was written by some boys between 13 to 17 for other boys with that maturity. I just couldn't figure why Will Sasso would agree to such a awful part? It's not the kind of part that helps get really good parts so someone must have had a lot of money to throw away. It's just one of the worse I've ever seen.