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The Fall Guy (2024)
A C effort as The Fall Guy suffers from Low T
To nobody's surprise in 2024 the filmmakers took the 1980's masculine character and softened him up to the point that this Colt Severs appears to coming from another universe.
The story itself is disjointed and doesn't make a lot of sense. EVERYTHING is predictable and can be seen coming a mile away.
The opening sequence of the film uses a conversation between Colt and aspiring director girlfriend Jody to all but hold up a giant sign saying the Colt is about to have a serious, near fatal accident.
From there it's an 18 month flash forward to a recovering Colt working as a valet with girlfriend Jody now gone? Why? It's never really clear but oddly when they inevitably do meet up again, she is the one angry... for what? Somehow in the tone of the story, he is the one to blame for their difficulty following him nearly dying.
From there it's one predictable cliche scene after another.
I gave it a very generous 7 if only for only remembering to give Lee Majors and Heather Thomas a good cameo during the closing credits.
Oppenheimer (2023)
A solidly very good film, some flaws
I gave this a solid rating of 8 out of 10. It is an incredibly good, memorable film with some flaws that keep it from being rated higher.
The movie is going to collect a number of Academy Awards. I expect to see them going to the film for Best Picture, Robert Downey Jr. For Best Supporting Actor and Best Cinematography. There will quite probably be more. There are a number of great performances and several small appearances from many of my favorite actors.
That said, it wasn't without it's flaws. I did not care for the sound/music. For a few moments I thought the speakers acting up, making odd sounds. The other big negative for me was making the scenes with Oppenheimer's mistress needlessly overly sexuallized. In particular the hearing scene where the mistress appears in some vision, having sex with Oppenheimer in a chair, at the hearing table. This added nothing to the film and seems to be there only to please some sophomoric need for the writers and/or director.
Those faults aside, it's a very good film. Definitely worth a see.
Wonka (2023)
A decent attempt, good acting, confused story, lazy writing, unmemorable songs
Wonka is not a bad film. It is well acted and filmed but if you are looking for a memorable backstory to the beginning of Wonka's factory from the original movie you won't find it as it's not there.
First of all kudos to the cast. I felt everyone in the film played their roles very well. No faults to be found there at all. Beyond that it gets messy.
The biggest sin is the incredibly unoriginal innkeepers and their list of charges for the stay.... Hello, are you doing a Willy Wonka backstory or a remake of Les Miserables?
Willy Wonda the magician or chocolate maker? This show makes him look like more of a magician. He pulls an endless array of items out of his hat ala Mary Poppins' carpetbag. This does not jive with the source material.
Slugworth in this film resembles a Bond villain more than a rival chocolatier. He even puts Wonka and Noodle in a Bond Villain type death trap. Again Is this a Wonka backstory or the next Bond film?
Even with all of these faults, it's still watchable but it's largely unoriginal and makes no sense with any source material. I gave it a generous 7 out of 10.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023)
Very good film and close adaptation from the book
I had read the book about 6 months before the film's release and was eagerly awaiting to see. Often this will lead to a let down as expectations become too high on a book that you enjoyed. In this case however, the film was very worth the wait! No let down whatsoever. Quite the opposite of a letdown I would have been held by another 30-45 minutes of run time if it were to had more details from the book.
Addressing the elephant in the room... Rachel Zegler. Just looking at her performance in the movie, she was excellent in every way. Unfortunately I understand that controversy surrounding her with other projects. It's unfortunate but this will drive some other away from the film, others to have a predisposition to not like her performance.
Set aside the outside noise of controversy and go enjoy a good movie!
The Fall of the House of Usher (2023)
Very well done but overly sexualized and preachy
Every way you look at the series it was very well acted filmed and produced and the release with timed perfectly for the Halloween season. I do recommend it..... for mature audiences only!
Fans of Edgar Allan Poe will enjoy the various ways his characters and writings are worked into the series although this does come with a drawback. If you are familiar with the stories each episode or scene is being based on, it will be a spoiler for what's to come. One example being when the Ushers are drinking Amontillado at a party and you know the tyrannical boss they are drinking with is about to be chained alive behind a wall. Even with that drawback it is very enjoyable to watch.
As good as the series is, I cannot give it the highest mark due to it being needlessly over sexualized and at times detouring into a political rant. The series also goes out of it's way to be too "inclusive' to the point it's comic. Apparently Roderick Usher's womanizing ways created children of every ethnic background and of every sexual orientation. And let's throw in the investigator who had to remind us that he was gay in virtually every episode, just in case we forgot from the last time. Little of that had any relevance to the story and seems to be written in only to meet a social justice quota.
The over-the-top sexualization is really disappointing as this may have been a good vehicle to introduce younger teens and pre-teens to the works of Edgar Allen Poe but as it is, the TV-MA rating is very well deserved. Parents, do not let your younger children view this!
We Have a Ghost (2023)
A surprising treat for the family!
I stumbled over this in the Netflix recommendations for me and I'm glad I found it.
First a huge shout out to David Harbour who was absolutely brilliant as the ghost. Even though we do not hear him utter one single word, he delivered incredibly!
The movie is not perfect, there are a number of plot holes that were never filled in, the government agent freeing the ghost from captivity was predictably cliched and the movie was a touch too long for my taste. Setting those criticisms aside, the movie has a nice charm to it and is very enjoyable. If you are looking for a good ghost movie to kick off the Halloween season this is a good one to start with!
Netflix has this listened under the 'Horror' category but there are not a lot true scares, it would be best described as suspenseful.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
Good, not great but certainly worth watching.
After Kingdom of the Crystal Skull the series had nowhere to go but up and it certainly did that. If you are a fan of Indiana Jones you should like this one. It's not up there with Raiders or Last Crusade but it made up for the disastrous Crystal Skull. Indiana Jones is at his best fighting Nazis so every angle of that has now probably been checked off.
This time most of the action is set in 1969 as Indy is trying to keep the Nazis from obtaining both halves of Archimedes Dial of Destiny with which the Nazis believe they can transport through time to alter the outcome of WWII. Of course we have an evil Nazi scientist, knowing all of Hitler's mistakes, plans to use that knowledge to replace Hitler and create a Nazi reign of 1,000 years, blah, blah, blah.
The Nazi angle is a bit worn thin by the 5th film now and there are plot holes they don't even attempt to close up but.... but... set that aside, don't over analyze the thing and enjoy the 2hr long ride, It's worth it!
Asteroid City (2023)
Go visit Asteroid City! Anything different is good!
Having watched so many movies in recent years that are utterly predicable formulas it was refreshing to see a film that did not follow that cliché form. To quote the line from Bill Murray near the end of Groundhog Day, "Anything different is good!"
The casting of the movie is absolutely stellar! Apart from the names at the top of the marquee, it was a tremendous treat to see such familiar favorites such as Steve Carell, William DeFoe, Adrian Brody, Jeff Goldblum, Tilda Swinton, Matt Dillon and many more make appearances. The ensemble greatly added to the experience.
I highly recommend the film. If you are a fan of ensemble movies you will really like this, keep a scorecard hand for all of the stars you notice. I'm absolutely looking forward to watching this again!
A Man Called Otto (2022)
Tom Hanks always worth a look but....
Just seeing the name 'Tom Hanks' will always get me to watch as he is one of the best that has ever been. That said I wasn't crazy about this film though I didn't hate it either.
It doesn't take long to realize this story is a retelling of the Gran Torino story. Grumpy old white man in ailing health, who recently lost his wife, is saved by the new immigrant neighbor who becomes his family and for whom he provides for when he passes away near the end of the film.
The writers and producers were also very careful to check all of the appropriate social boxes. Along with our white protagonist there is a mixed couple(Caucasian/Hispanic) , African American neighbor best friend and a transgender newspaper delivery boy on a bicycle(who reads newspapers in 2022 let along have them delivered by bicycle? But I digress...)
The movie was well done, well acted(duh it's Tom Hanks) As with Gran Torino, bring your handkerchief for the sad ending. Well worth a look even though you know what's coming a mile away. Points off for unoriginality and shoehorning in a social subplot that served no purpose to the main story at all.
I gave this a solid 7.
NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service: Turkey Trot (2022)
NCIS ran out of original ideas.
We've seen this all before.
-NCIS members are held hostage from a deranged family member of someone in the past.
-Estranged family member suddenly appears out of nowhere with some wild scheme to make money(See Tony DiNozzo's father)
-And of course the obligatory misdirection in the opening scene.
At this point I am only watching out of habit. It's sad the see the writing degrade this level. One would think the highly paid writing staff of a long running series could come up with a new angle once in a while but apparently not.
Please, Please, Please NCIS family, do much better than rehashing old and tired storylines.
Locke & Key: Five Minutes Past (2022)
Very unoriginal and lazy writing borderline absurd.
They just need to retitle the season. '10 More Stupid Thing Bodie Does with Keys'
Have they not learned by now to keep all the keys away from Bodie? EVERY time he gets his hands on one things go to hell in a hand basket.
This is writing at it's laziest, seeming to copy off an old template, rinse and repeat.
Columbo: By Dawn's Early Light (1974)
An excellent episode with a twist of irony.
As always Columbo wins a battle of wits, this time with a commander of a military school who determined to keep it from becoming a Co-Ed institution murders the chairman of the school.
The irony... the episode was filmed at The Citadel that was all male at the time yet 20 some years after the episode The Citadel was forced to open up to females after a well publicized lawsuit.
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Don't ask questions, Enjoys the ride
Let's be honest here, there are enough plot holes between this one and Top Gun 1986 to fill up the Grand Canyon which is why I only went as high as an 8 rating.
That aside it is a very good, fun film to go watch, especially in a theatre. So don't get too hung up on the things that don't make a lot of sense and have fun!
The Man from Toronto (2022)
It was good enough
I opted to watch it solely for Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson. It's a decent watch for an evening but not one that I'll likely go out of my way to see again. The two stars were good as expected. It's worth a look but not a classic.
Raise the Titanic (1980)
Surprisingly good historical fiction! Worth a look!
I rated high based on the excellent cast, including a small appearance from Sir Alec Guinness!
This is pure historical fiction in the same vein as Quintin Tarantino's works of recent years. Discovery of the Titanic 5 years after the movie was released doomed this from being remembered fondly but it was well produced, given a decent storyline and the top notch cast makes this a good watch for an evening!
NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service: Starting Over (2022)
The writing is getting incredibly lazy
In this episode the highlight was the Gary Cole Office Space joke referencing TPS reports. Aside from that it was blah.
The show is obsessed with having every character in an office romance. Move on to something original already!
The "cliffhanger" with Torres being attacked as part of the NCIS Hawaii crossover was poorly done. The writers all but held up a sign that it was going to happen and when it did the shock factor was nowhere to be found.
Cruella (2021)
A pleasant surprise! Well worth a look.
I didn't bring a lot of expectations but found the movie very enjoyable. Some may not enjoy turning a Disney villain into a likable anti-hero but I thought it worked well.
The show has a lot for all, surprise twists and turns and bonus, a great classic rock soundtrack for us old folks 😉
It's well worth checking out!
The Replacements (2000)
I literally turned it off
I watched it only because Gene Hackman was in it... and felt sorry that he has this on his resume. The "comedy" was unfunny, juvenile nonsense.
Don't waste your time with this one.
Sing 2 (2021)
Surprisingly good!
It wasn't my choice for the night out at the movies but was very entertained by the excellent soundtrack! Sure it's geared towards the kids but the adults will love the music in the film as well. Check it out!
Encanto (2021)
Just ok, good for a family night out
Take the family, you'll enjoy it but nothing really outstanding.
Fans of Umbrella Academy will find very familiar sights, a plot with a girl with seemingly no super power in a family where everybody has one. A missing and presumed dead family member who also seems like a combination of 5 and Klaus from the UA.
The conclusion of the film was a bit rushed and clichéd but as stated the kids will like it but most of the adults will be Meh.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)
An absolute home run! Must see!
I'm always leery of sequels like this but from the very start they weaved this together almost perfectly! The casting of the kids was spot on, they all did an amazing job. The writers were outstanding in weaving in familiar one liners as Easter eggs from the original movie and finding a way to bring back the entire original cast(including the late Harold Ramis, keep a tissue handy) was simply marvelous.
MUST SEE! MUST SEE! MUST SEE!
Dune (2021)
Excellent! Well Done!
Very well done and an excellent move to break this up into 2 parts as there was so much source material for the story from the book series that previous films have had to leave out due to time constraints.
For clarity it helps to be familiar with the books and/or previous film adaptations as the film does seem to assume a little bit that you have some background knowledge.
A must see!
Halloween Kills (2021)
Complete and utter nonsense
Think of the insurance commercial that says "If you're in a horror movie, you make bad decisions, that's what you do."
The filmmakers took that premise and ran with it in virtually every scene while throwing in over the top, unnecessary gore and body counts to the point I had to wonder if the director was a sadist.
And, oh BTW, Jamie Lee Curtis who received such prominent billing? She had literally no constructive part in the film except to give a spoiler alert to how the next film(yes there will be a next film as they didn't finish the story) is going to end.
I only gave it a 2 Star rating for the fun day out I had with my son.
Save your $30 and skip this garbage.
No Time to Die (2021)
Long, depressing, lack of energy
I wanted to really like this but could not rate it high on the Bond list. It felt like a 2hr 30min funeral lacking energy, excitement, not well paced or edited, every actor seemed to be going through the motions and capped off with a heavy dose of Political Correctness at every turn.
The only plus was the title song by Billie Eilish who did a tremendous job with the title song but again the movie fumbles by placing the title sequence what seemed to be 30 mins into the film. I was starting to think they had forgotten about it.
Very disappointing to see Daniel Craig leave on a sour note.
Miss Sloane (2016)
Hypocritical trash
The point of this story was? If the point was to say that everyone in DC on all sides of aisle are corrupt and of low character then it succeeded but that's not really a newsflash.
The motivations of the main character were never really revealed and throughout kept everyone guessing if she was a hero or villain. Even as
an anti hero she was extremely unlikable.