Reviews

Instead I decided to borrow the DVD from the library--It didn't cost me a penny and it stay in my house less than a week. I strongly recommend doing the same and if one's local library doesn't have it for free, borrow it from a friend. I did the latter with 2012 and that choice was number one thing regarding that atrocity was satisfied with.

AD Astra was an obvious ripoff of 2001: A Space Odyssey (An important meeting in space. The ships slowwwwly going from place to another); The Martian (Main character not losing his cool as he confronts one life- threatening situation after another--But also in my opinion that astronaut was more likable); and let me not forget Star Trek: Nemesis (The unnecessary space buggy chase sequence!).

Mentioning that last film reminds me of AD Astra's galling failure: the random dropping subplots that would have made things more less predictable and more intense. For me only flesh and blood character that intrigued me run-in with the monkey.

Skip any remorse: you'll have it even buying this for a dollar or 50 cents at a garage sale.

I'm a racing fan thanks to Secretariat. I saw the Preakness and Belmont Stakes in 1973 and got swept up in Secretariat Mania. I gave my two dogs Secretariat as their surname. I now watch the Belmont Stakes footage at least twice a month on Youtube. Today, still watch the subsequent Triple Crown races for two reasons: To see what horse will join number 9 in the exclusive TC winner club and, more importantly, to see who will break those records that have stood since 1973.

And my wait for broken TC records and/or a horse with as close to the charisma of that Superhorse continues...

Due to many reasons, I did not see the film in 2010. Then at last I put aside procrastinating and I checked out the DVD from the library in early February, 2019. Didn't expect much--Knew I would get--and got--human interaction over the title named non-human Ooohhhhkaaaay. I can get through this.

No, not okay. It's based on a true story, a great story but for some reason is transformed into a soap opera. Tension between wife and hubby. Wife vs. Stuffed shirt horse racing people. Wife vs Trainer and Jockey. Secretariat gets a sore in his mouth--Wow there's a fact in the life of the horse that was exclusive to him. That last is among one of the four best scenes in the entire film it's . The others are the foaling, Eddie Sweat washing while "Oh Happy Day" plays on the radio, the family back in Colorado looking at the Preakness--Actual footage of the event.

If only the Belmont Stake's actual footage could've been used. What was presented was an underwhelming, cringe-worthy. rage inducing in me mess. The "announcer" lacked both awe and excitement at what he was seeing and I won't get into the out of place lines from the famous reporting. I couldn't discern the distance between Secretariat and the rest of the horses after the last turn.

I recommend if you want to introduce yourself or your kids to this racing champ, go watch youtube where Big Red is accurately shown.

Maybe I should start reading comics again. When did Batman--I saw this film a little over two months ago and still have yet to get over the caped crusader handling a gun to kill people and branding criminals. I can't decide which I was taken aback with most. When did he stop being a detective? Some one tell me where other than finding the picture of Wonder Woman that his investigative actions weren't driven by his wanting to killing or maim someone. Lois Lane was doing the detection things Batman should've been doing. Instead I get Bat-thug!!!!

And O-M-G Superman is even worse--With his powers he could have saved people dying in the congress hearing scene. Hearing and/or X-ray vision and super-speed found the bomb and carried it away as quick as one could snap their fingers. But wait, was Lois in the room during the hearing? I don't remember seeing him fly away with her in his arms. I saw it too many times. I do remember every time she was in jeopardy he stopped anything in his tracks to rescue her. Hello, uh, other people in the world. There's only two scenes where he helps someone who's not close to him and only one of those two were touching. This Superman other than his looks didn't like him at all--Too boring, brooding, less than caring for strangers, and worst of all doesn't take the time to try to make others see his reasons he did the things he did. The hearing which he comes no speech about the destruction in the first film and the battle in Africa that happens earlier. Superman's speech in "Quest for Peace" for me now is his 2nd best the first being the one he makes at the end of Superman II.

Watch this super dark, super confusing, humorless piece of crap on those devices where the viewing can be speed it up. Get to all the itsy-bitsy parts with Wonder Woman. She was the ONLY super heroine that engaged my interest. I sat upright in my chair thanking God I didn't walk out (and I so wanted to 3 times) when I saw her using her lasso. Thing I think that made her stand out was that action-wise she was transported to the big screen with little to no tampering with her character or fighting style. Can't wait to see her film.

In closing, I will state I won't mention the other characters as I want to spare you the reader from long, long tirade regarding Alex Luthor Joker Poser, forgettable Flash, forgettable Cyborg and biker gang man stereotype lookalike that was Aquaman.

Day After Tomorrow, Godzilla (1998), 2012 (horrid, horrid and horrid)--I consider this the second best film from the above mentioned director-- The best IMO being Independence Day.

Back to this new film--Second best I've seen this summer, the first being Captain America Civil War. Lighter in atmosphere and funnier compared to the horrendous Batman V. Superman. Lots of battles.The aliens were as vicious as they were ugly this time around. More Dr. Okun. I missed Will Smith but the 5 young characters together made up for his absence after 20 minutes in. No Michael Bay's treatment of women--Hot and unnecessary.

Major Downsides: the length. I didn't fall asleep due to wanting to see Dr. Okun and the special effects but a couple of times I was tempted. Frankly I got bored with the love scenes.

I will go see it again.

I saw a movie worse than the original Stargate. So cheap they didn't bother hiring extras to make it appear that it was a MAJOR city under attack. The setting should have been a small town and the aliens should have attacked at night. The ship was cgi, the blowups were cgi they couldn't make tiny cgi people--There were tiny cars. I refer to the opening scene, specifically the alien's opening attack. I was warned then and there but I thought it will get better--No. I saw one dead civilian in a parking lot, a highway, whatever. The arm forces (one couldn't pay me to guess which branch they were) running around, screaming, shooting, running some more, screaming some more. The guy form the 1940's gets big intro and does nothing as far as I watched which was an hour. Ninja gal gets introduced my sense of someone insulting my intelligence raises to levels I can no longer ignore and I went to bed.

My thoughts are paralyzed in terms how further I should go describing the badness so I'm going to stop. Sometime in the very near future I'm going to watch Independence Day.

I'm referring to the full version. I don't know what other distribution companies have put it out but the one I purchased (Image Entertainment) said on the package it was the full version and I believe it--Because the story made sense. Another version I saw was disjointed to the point of ridiculous and boring. Only portion close to boring in uncut Dain Curse was Gabriella beating her habit and that because it got monotonous. Also a slightly negative point I guessed who the chief villain was by midway through part 2.

That aside, I found it rather entertaining and efforts to make it look a period piece a superior one and all the bulk of the cast captured the era's behavior modes.

I vividly remember watching it when it first was aired; I was five and it scared me to pieces. It's not the first episode I remember seeing -- that's Squire of Gothos -- but I remember virtually ALL of Doomsday Machine. What made it stick out was the machine. Special effects bad--now with all the advances in FX but it does not take away in me how lethal it was (despite its ice cream cone, spyglass appearance) and besides the potential loss of life had it not been destroyed, what Starfleet's enemies got hold of it's technology. *Burr* The facet of the possibility Staffleet's known enemies discovering it never comes up but did it need need to? The simplicity of it's it or the universe is enough more than enough. Intense in all caps music, performances, pacing--And Never, after 40 years plus, has it become silly over time.

This just might the episode that turned me into a Star Trek fan.

Still have many gripes with 2001 but one of them wasn't the saturation of technology after the first 10+ minutes. It was either in my face or going about along the side lines. There are still things that have yet to be created let alone mass produced.

2010 is polar opposite. Kulbrick died in 1999; someone tell me why he wasn't assigned to get this together? Should have made this something Not Associated with 2001--It's a good by the numbers space saga with a smattering of the Cuban Missle Crisis and The Day After. It would been looked advanced if made in 1950. I can't get past 2010 looking the year it's made. Liinking it with its predecessor is attempted--Hal, Bowman, only Star Child my attention was engaged for the period he was there--less than a minute.

I've never seen so long a list!!! Knowing I'm a Science-Fiction/fantasy buff a friend of mine at work loaned it to me telling me (paraphrasing here)"You can buy if off me" I should have taken her up on that offer then put a match to it once I got home. Night before, I sat through it once and after all the crap was done deeply felt I lost my best friend named my time.

As many have mentioned too many hair's breath escapes--After flight in limo & plane it got stupid. But wait, no; before the limo jet escape there's the horrible destruction of supermarket scene--where no one died??? The way that place was shaking, shelves made from metal wobbling ground splits open exactly where ex-wife and new hubby were to boot--OH COME ON! Come on to the infinite--Divorced parents Dad desperate to win back wife and kids--have this movie's writer's have had long-term friendships with those script writers on Sy-Fy's original films? If the ho-hum Farrier's of Spielberg's War of the Worlds were switched with this ho-hum family? Tell you the truth: I wouldn't notice the difference.

The clincher was the scene of cute Japanese Chin crossing a rope like a cat--it's not a cat!!!! Dogs don't have that type balance. And did anyone else think the chasm below was cgi or matte paint?

The twins bothered me little to none; have older twin sisters--Nowif they had been named Sideswipe & Sunstreaker I'd been big time irate. Black & female, I found TF1 more racist of the two; Glen Whitman's 1st 3 scenes were groan inducing, the scene of his & Maggie's taken into custody was horribly blatant. Later Whitman delivered the goods (Unlike Sam's super annoying idiot college roomie). Was hoping Glen Whitman and Maggie Madsen would return in TF2.

Having seen ROTF, wouldn't be surprised learning Rachel Taylor walked away once apprised what script required her to do. As Alice pushed Sam on bed considered walking out but "I'd miss Prime". Happily I stayed; classiest character in 2.5 hrs of over top sexploitation profanity and ignorance. Enduring Prime's TF1 "Sorry, my bad" or Skids and Mudflap's antics; guess who wins. For love of Prime, only that, I'll rate it a 2--one for each 20 minutes he's on screen. Advised my one married sister (by the way, she married a twin) this wasn't fit for her 10 year old to see and she agreed. I'd even go out on a limb saying Transie girls suffering low esteem in terms of appearance steered even further away. No other way I can interpret it; Bay's forgot female fans a little more than the young boys target market.

Where's respect for women? Hot or dumb boats, no middle ground called smart--including Alice; could've tried knocked Mikaela out when she burst in on her with Sam. Was Alice panty peekaboo necessary? It's obvious Mommy Witwicky doesn't recognize joint plant on package even though she has a young adult son. Not one of those hot co-eds wore loose below waist clothing to the knee or weigh over 130. Mikaela's wardrobe is poster girl for absurd, worst of all her standing white slacks and no bra...in the desert, in an Islamic community...riiiight. Shows how little homework was employed throwing this together and/or no woman on staff pointing out women would more likely wear coveralls working in a garage. Why I didn't I spot only one buff guy entire film and no shirtless guy, buff or stick? (Nauseating) thong butt cheeks failed distracting me from what I really wanted! Why did I leave 1st & 2nd times deciding only hot guy was ten ton Autobot leader? Was doing ear candy double dipping; needed to as I didn't get it from my ultimate Decepticon brand ear candy. Biggest letdown regarding v/a's Bay hires ford Agency girls yet doesn't bother renting a synthesizer for Soundwave! Dunno why but do know Mikaela wants Sam to say he loves her. And she urges him to do it in various ways again and again and again--Wait a sec, didn't by his TF1 actions showed he cared for her? What happened to Mikaela? Before the infamous Wheelie humpty she's flirting with it and it's Sam who pokes it off! How does Mikaela going through 3 sexy suits in space of under ten minutes contribute to Decepticons wreaking havoc, develop The Fallen into a more menacing creature--I'll spoil it for you she's not pivotal in either situation. Script wise she was given more to in TF1; this she's hot fest, ahem, why is she in this? Most annoying change is her clinging to Sam--crying out loud have her take the Matrix to Optimus! Having pointed this out, a slightly deeper question: why couldn't Mikaela already be in college on an engineering scholarship? Why couldn't both of them be members of Nest? Yes besides more screen time for Lennox & Epps--oh wait forgot, less situations permitting Mikaela dressing to sexy excess.

Not in order The crash landing...I see where Star Wars Ep.3 garnered inspiration from. The blood thirsty creatures. Cleverly displayed dark and fleeting; there's 3 scenes I saw them in detail. I still debate which species is worse the 1979 Alien or these guys...still can't decide. Anywhoo I love their deceptively sweet whale-esquire sounds and how relentless and by and large unstoppable.

The Characters: My favorites (in order) Fry, Jack, the leader of the New Mecca pilgrims then Riddick. My one trouble with the film and I had this with Chronicles of Riddick--Most the time I don't understand what Diesel is saying first hearing his lines; I have to listen at least three times. But that's just me--He's the funniest one in the film. Except for 2 of them (both a bit overly depended on controlled substances), I was sad when they were offed.

Now number 1 The whole eclipse sequence and the rise of the beast. Wow! Especially the eclipse--I've keep going back on it beginning to end.

Nine times out of ten when I watched the TV ads for the movie they mentioned George Takei and Michael Dorn are in it. So I go watching it—Trek alumni one of them Takei-whoo—hoo! But before the first half-hour passed it made me sick.

First Takei appears for less than fifteen minutes. Dorn was coursing in via his good looks and voice. Big surprise Voyager's Robert Picardo is it—but his character has no impact on the movie. No character makes impact and beyond thinking they should have been the Martian tripods for the straight to video War of the Worlds—indifferent towards the "mechanized monsters". By the ending I was confused and more indifferent. I blame this on the mediocre script and lazy character development.

3 is very depressing but it was fairly well written and realistic. Poor Ripley had to contend with the usual evil alien in and out belly and alongside that the possibility a prisoner could rape or kill her. What held my attention--How was Ripley going to get out. Well, she got out her predicament--Not in the way I would wish but it made sense.

Nothing in Alien part 4 makes sense. I've seen it only once and that was more than enough. Events taking place 100 plus years later doesn't explain how they successfully merged two vastly different species, one that is especially lethal to the other, without some method; one is never provided mentioned how this was done. The internal confusion that usually crops up when a cloned character is in a plot isn't hashed out not one second--and if one movie needed it to happen was this one. Other than the basketball scene Ripley space reptile is completely unwatchable, not one shred of her human side and I was incessantly confused whose side she's on--found nothing positive about her nor those characters surrounding her. There's plenty to nauseate, though, the octopus derived mutations, the tedium of slow or still imagery and the swathed in bubble wrap Jabba the Hutt calling itself a "baby".

But there's the supernatural slant in it taking away from volcano action. But for once it's okay it's better than most distracting subplots. First it's more jaw-wagging bizarre unreal than laughably unreal. The character whom this angle revolves around, Angela, has a decent actress, specifically she big time can project the weirdness everyone points her way. Moreover the role of the priest (the actor is a tad hammy but not annoyingly so) is decent; seen too many films as of late depicting priests as corrupt.

I give film high marks for attempting putting the story in Italy--something 2 Sci-fi movies using Russia as its backdrop completely failed to do. There's people with accents (might not be the actual Italian accent but at least they try.) frequent breaks between American English an Italian. Wish they interjected subtitles when the Italian starts up. But back to the good, there's a major one haven't mentioned as of yet--It sure ain't predictable.

What really sells me on this film is the lead guy--nice on my eyes but OMG he can act too. He makes the character likable.