Change Your Image
NikolasWorden
Reviews
The Fall Guy (2024)
A Really Great Homage to Stuntmen and Women in the Film Industry
Posting this review just after seeing it. The Fall Guy film adaptation was a really great film. It's great to see a old school TV show like the original series get the film treatment like other shows like Dukes of Hazzard and A Team, but this is easily the best of them all. Directed by a Hollywood stuntman, this film tells a great story of Colt Seavers after a stunt accident being called back into action, only to get in a big pickle involving the film in productions star and a murder case put upon him. Mayhem ensues and comes great action, comedy, with a well done romantic subplot between Seavers and his girlfriend Jody, the director of the movie they're making in the film. The stunts in thf film were amazing and I loved the references of the original show such as the classic GMC truck, the new version, and the song "Unknown Stuntman" playing during the credits. There were a few references to other classic action shows and films such as Fast & Furious, as well as an Easter egg to Smokey and the Bandit. Stunts Unlimited also knocked this out of the park with their logos on some of the stunt equipment, which founder, stuntman-turned director Hal Needham would have loved this film. This film was an absolute blast and I thank Universal Studios, the filmmakers, the actors, crew and especially the stunt crew for bringing a very well done tribute to the big screen. It just goes to show that Hollywood can still make a great and entertaining film and I hope more action stunt films will be made in the future. 10/10.
I Love Toy Trains Volumes 1-12 (2002)
My Favorite Show That Changed My Life Forever
I first saw the show when I was 6 and this introduced me to toy trains and I have been collecting Lionel and many other toy trains since then. The show is full of fun train action, hilarious humor of malfunctioning trains, great educational segments, and amazing songs by James Coffey. 19 years after I first watched the show, I had the pleasure of meeting Tom McComas himself at his store in Michigan City, Indiana. If you love trains both real and toy, I strongly recommend I Love Toy Trains, as well all the other shows by TM Books and Video. This to me is genuine, fun and real entertainment the whole family will enjoy, which is a style you may never truly find by other studios these days. As an ambitious filmmaker myself, I would love to one day start making my own toy train shows and help spread the love and joy of toy trains for people throughout.
Tom, Charyl, Jeff, Joe, Thank you so much for making I Love Toy Trains and introducing me to the amazing hobby of toy trains. If I ever make my own series of toy train films, I'll be sure to leave a huge thank you for you all.
Thank you all and God bless!
Christmas Cars (2019)
Probably the WORST Christmas Movie Ever Made
Oh man where do I begin with this production? I used to be a big Dukes of Hazzard fan as a kid, but in recent years it doesn't hold up for me. Partly because of what John Schneider has done in recently with his low-budget, corny, cheesy and overall terrible films that for some reason are being given a lot of praise from people who probably never watched them. I reviewed his terrible rip-off remake of my favorite movie Smokey and the Bandit called Stand On It, but prior to buying the DVD for that heap of trash, I bought his Christmas Cars DVD that was on sale 50% off with an autograph, since I was going to resell it anyway so I gave this a shot.
Oh my gosh this is had to have been the WORST Christmas themed movie I have ever seen. If your production is worse than that of Home Alone 4: Taking Back The House, you have a very series problem. The story feels like a rip-off of the Dukes of Hazzard, with Schneider playing a failed TV star named Uncle Denver, obviously a reference to the late Denver Pyle who played Uncle Jessie in the TV show. Uncle Denver is about to lose his property since he hasn't been able to pay his bills. He teaches a shop class on cars and there is a moment where a student asks about putting sawdust in a transmission, but John replies about tearing out the rust. ???? Obviously bad writing and editing there. The villain of the movie is a Boss Hogg look-a-like who comes up with schemes to get Denver off his property. Denver then gets the idea to sell autographed diecast General Lee's to raise money and gets help from this movie's knock off of Daisy Dukes played by Mindy Robinson, who for some reason is wearing revealing clothing which I find repulsive in a Christmas movie. They start selling well, but orders are soon canceled when the movie shifts into political message about the rebel flag on top of the General Lee. Don't get me wrong I do not at all support slavery or racism, but I like the flag as it is a symbol of American history during the American Civil War. But having this kind of content in what is supposed to be a Christmas movie is really out of place and John is obliviously trying to cash in on this market. John then destroys the General Lee in the worst way possible by ripping of "the top came off" scene from Smokey and the Bandit tearing the roof of the General Lee with a cut down tree. Thankfully its a Ford Crown Victoria with Dodge Charger body panels put on, but still its a gut punch for any Dukes of Hazzard fan or car guys like myself. After that is just some more nonsense with terrible acting and I had enough with this movie.
The plot is nonsensical, the acting on everybody is absolutely terrible, and it doesn't feel like a Christmas movie, or anything like a movie for that matter. Its like watching a comedy sketch that is 1 hour and 25 minutes too long. There is no real Christmas feel to it and no snow found anywhere. The idea of having bring politics into this movie is also unwarranted since movies are supposed to give a sense of escape, not bring it up unless its a documentary or history film. The green screen is terrible, which John continues to use to this day and I do not know he uses it since it looks so bad. Its no wonder why no other Dukes cast members beside Byron Cherry appeared in this as John has gone off the deep end with his life over the past decade.
Overall, this is not at all a good movie and go watch a real Christmas movie this Holiday season. As for Dukes of Hazzard fans, just watch the Christmas episode, not this.
Thankfully I was able to sell both my Christmas Cars and Stand On It DVD's for more than what I paid for them so in the end it worked out for me. No Schneider films here in this household from here on out.
1/10.
Stand on It! (2020)
As a Huge Smokey and the Bandit Fan, VERY DISAPPOINTED
I'm sorry, but I did not like this movie at all and that is coming from a huge fan of Smokey and the Bandit fan and Trans Am enthusiast. It was pretty much a low-budget remake of Smokey and the Bandit, but different character names and different locations and setting. It didn't feel like a tribute at all, but more of a wannabe Bandit movie.
The Good:
I will say the car stunts were decent, but should've been better filmed. Also there is
a scene with Bandit and Buford impersonators which I felt was the closest this movie had to paying tribute and respect for the original.
The Bad:
The Dodge Challenger was a bad choice as a blocker car as it should've been a Pontiac Trans Am to honor the original or a black and gold General Lee as a tribute to the TV show. You can't combine both cars and pass it off as a Bandit car. The Challenger used in the movie has a fake t-top roof that is filled with expanding foam, a bird on the hood, gold stripes and gold wheels. Basically a Dodge Challenger that likes to dress as a Pontiac Firebird which I feel is sacrilege. Its not even a real Hellcat like John states, but it is actually a V6 base model. The movie uses WAY TOO MUCH greenscreen which was off-putting and unrealistic. The movie was filmed very cheaply as if it was shot on a cell phone. The songs were not that good nor fun to listen to compared to the original which was fantastic. The acting was poor and much of the dialogue was lifted from the original, which is a shame since the original was mostly improvised. I'm surprised that Universal hasn't copyrighted this movie. If John was on the set, why not make a movie based on that event or a more original storyline that included a few references here and there to set it apart? Also if the budget was so low, why make the movie at all? There should have been a lot of heart, thought, and effort put into this to make it good and pay respect to Burt and Hal, but I feel that very little heart and effort was put into this and it should've been better handled.
Save your time and money and just go watch the original Smokey and the Bandit and the sequels. Way more fun to watch and that is the proper way to honor Burt Reynolds and Hal Needham. Hopefully Universal Studios will do a better job with their tv show in development.