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mrgiggles007
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Chasing Mavericks (2012)
Almost
This was almost good. The poor writing did this movie in. There are plot lines that go nowhere, and new ones that pop up with no introduction. Then you have kids becoming enemies for no reason, and later those old enemies just suddenly start liking each other. I could have also done without the random jesus-junkie plugs. It's a complete mess.
However the surfing scenes are pretty cool.
Anyways this review requires a certain number of characters for whatever asinine reason, so I'll take this time to recommend North Shore. It's a much better done "Karate Kid" surfing movie. While it has some 80s cheese in it, at least the writing made some sense.
The Menu (2022)
It's a good idea, but I'm not sure about the execution.
I really like what this movie tried to do. I like the message I think they wanted to convey. I'm just not sure I buy a bunch of food critics and kitchen staff and the chef just going along with being burned alive as if it's a fate all parties involved came to accept with nothing much of a struggle.
Still though, it is entertaining. I especially enjoyed the introduction of each dish. The pageantry and the presentation of each course was fun to watch. And it's always fun to see pretentious characters get a little comeuppance.
I would like to see another adaptation of this same premise done a little differently. Preserve the artistic expression, but maybe add in a little realism.
A Christmas Story Christmas (2022)
A sequel done right
I'm sure many will disagree, as people so often do, but this was much better than I expected. Between the returning cast members from the original to the extension of the story we all grew up watching, this is a love letter to those of us who loved A Christmas Story.
Even though Darren McGavin's character is missing, his presence is felt throughout the entire story much in the way we like to think about our own relatives who have passed on. It isn't perfect, nor will it win any accolades, but it is precisely the sequel the original movie needed.
My holiday season watch list just grew by one.
Quantum Leap (2022)
It's not bad
Yeah the episode structure is different, but that's kinda the way TV shows are these days. I think it works for this show.
If I had to choose somethings I did not like, I would say the first is the lack of humor in the show. I think a lighter mood would suit the show better in the long run.
The only other thing I don't really like is the inconsistencies with the original series. Specifically I don't like the lack of the "waiting room" from the original series. Even Ernie Hudson's character omits it when he recounts his experience from the original series. Hopefully this gets addressed in a future episode.
Another Earth (2011)
Garbage
How pretentious does one have to be to enjoy the mindless drivel of this crap? Save yourself some trouble, and watch paint dry. You'll be far more entertained.
Dark City (1998)
This is no masterpiece
I read the synopsis, and thought that on the surface, it sounded kinda meh, but the reviews are stellar. So I figured there must be something to this flick.
There really isn't. I mean it isn't bad, but it isn't great either. Imagine a good Twilight Zone episode stretched out to movie length, and this is what you'll get. If there was any depth to the story's concept, it wasn't explored. Instead the whole idea just dragged along to a predictable conclusion.
Oh and for you pretentious fanbois who say that it was overshadowed by the Matrix, save your money and buy a clue. This travesty had a 13 month jump on the Matrix. It didn't get popular, because it simply isn't that good.
Surviving Death (2021)
Pseudoscience
If you want a scientific exploration into the images and dreams people have when they are near the brink of death, this is not where you will find it. Instead it just rehashes all of the garbage one could find in a 1990s copy of Weekly World News.
Scare Package (2019)
Brilliant
This is better than the film snobs would have you believe. If you grew up watching 80s horror and can remember the shows like Elvira's Up All Night, and obviously TNT's Monstervision, then you will enjoy this one.
Shutter Island (2010)
Worst Scorsese movie I've seen
I enjoy most of his work, but this one was not that good. The "plot twist" was telegraphed all the way. It was so badly done that most of the movie felt like filler while I waited for what I already knew was coming.
Joker (2019)
A fantastic movie
I must preface this by saying I had very low expectations going into this movie. For starters, I am not much of a Batman fan. Unfortunately for me, I am clearly in the minority and it seems we cannot go more than a year or two without some story or another coming from Batman's world.
So I told myself I would not watch Joker. I had seen the best (according to popular opinion) that these movies had to offer in the form of the Christopher Nolan films and simply did not like them. So why would this be any different?
Well I relented, and damn I am glad I did. Joker, the character, now has some depth to him.
Superman (1978)
The epitome of what Superman is meant to be
I still find it amazing that for over forty years, we've seen countless adaptations and (mis)interpretations of Superman, and yet not one of them can even begin to compare to this masterpiece. Perhaps one day some writers and directors will get together and realize how to recreate this brand of magic. Until then, we will always have Donner's films to fill that role.
Big Stan (2007)
Hidden gem
I kind of hate using that phrase, but it's really the best way to describe this movie. I was evidently living under some rock when this was released, because I did not even hear about it until a full 11 years later.
What you have is a similar plot to Get Hard with Will Ferrell, but it takes the story into a different direction by mixing in some martial arts humor and of course the silliness we come to expect from Rob Schneider.
Like all movies of this ilk, don't take things so seriously and you might enjoy it.
Grown Ups 2 (2013)
Lighten up, Francis
Like many have said, this is an Adam Sandler movie. It's not a stuffy historical piece, or a tear-jerking drama, or anything that will leave the film snobs discussing cinematography for years and years.
It's slapstick and crude humor. That's what it's supposed to be.
Grown Ups (2010)
Better than the critics would have you think
I cannot say that I wholly understand all of the hate aimed at Adam Sandler movies. It seems like it's just one of those cool things to do. For sure he's had some forgettable movies over the years, but this is just not one of them.
I would say Grown Ups is what a family movie would be if the writers just said to hell with the censors. If you can sit down and enjoy some mindless comedy without taking everything so seriously, you will probably enjoy this.
First Light (2018)
Not bad, but very forgettable.
I like the concept the writers were going for, but I think the execution was subpar. I mean it took a good 45 minutes before the story started being told. That's just slow pacing for the sake of slow pacing.
The Conjuring (2013)
Exorcist Wannabe
So last week, I mentioned to some friends that I had not seen a genuinely scary movie in quite some many years. I waxed on about how I missed being scared by Freddy and Jason and was thus disappointed year after year by the new horror offerings.
So it was suggested, by those a decade younger than I, that I partake in this particular film.
While I am not completely disappointed, evidenced by the fact that I was able to sit through an entire viewing without being disgusted by poor plot development, I was nonetheless met with the tired old trope of modern Christian mythology being the centerpiece of the storyline.
In short, if you still cling to such ridiculous beliefs, you will likely find this movie entertaining. Otherwise, pass on this title. It requires at least a rudimentary subscription to demons and afterlifes in order to make a semblance of sense.
I liken it to The Exorcist for that simple fact. Additionally the plot is remarkably the same as that film in that a woman, in lieu of a young girl, is the victim of a demonic possession which requires one man to "fix her". It sucked in 1973 just as it sucked 40 years later.
A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014)
I laughed my ass off
While it is no perfect comedy by any stretch of the imagination, I simply do not understand the negative reviews for this movie. I sat and watched this, beginning with one eye open. I kept waiting for the cringe factor that accompanies many of the films of this genre to date. And then I laughed. I laughed some more. What were these negative reviews I read on IMDb? Simply put: If you are looking for some deeper meaning brought to you by the art of film, move on. If you enjoyed the slapstick of Airplane! and Blazing Saddles with a touch of modern interpretation, then watch this movie. This final line of unnecessary text is brought to you by IMDb's ridiculous method of filtering out troll reviews by requiring ten lines of text. Should you find yourself reading this in an effort to achieve enlightenment, you will be sorely disappointed.