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Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)
They failed to realize why Afterlife was so good.
Having really loved Mckenna Grace in Afterlife I have to say Frozen Empire fails to live up to it's predecessor and why it was such a success. Mckenna Grace was the best part of Ghostbusters: Afterlife. She was able to channel Egon Spengler created by Harold Ramis. Mekenna did such an outstanding job I really enjoyed Afterlife but sadly for some reason they reduced her contribution in Frozen Empire to just another one of the many characters in the film. She still does a great job but she should have been the star in the film and was simply relegated to supporting character.
Don't get me wrong, if you are a Ghostbusters fan this isn't the worst film by a long shot and I did enjoy them bringing back all of the old cast but it felt like they spent too much time on the nostalgia aspects of the film and almost nothing on the back story of the villain and the film comes off just slightly better than flat.
There really is no leading character and much of the comedy falls flat. Even Bill Murry couldn't save the film as it's not really about anyone or anything. It was hard for me to connect to any of the characters since it was all over the place trying to hook you with the original cast and it just wasn't done as well as it was in the previous film where you get to connect with Harold's character in a touching way that did justice to his character.
See it but set your expectation low and you should have some fun. Hopefully McKenna will be back as the main focus in the next film should they decide to make another. And NOT every film has to have a happy ending. Give us a cliff hanger setting up the next one. :)
Keep on busting.
Gojira -1.0 (2023)
A Godzilla movie gets a 10? You bet it does!
The first movie I remember seeing as a child was one of the original Godzilla movies. I was pretty young and it scared the hell out of me. But thanks to my mother explaining it was make believe I came to love the old black and white movies. So if you are into Godzilla movies, this one is a full on 10. Why...
This movie is one of the more recent ones to take the movie back where it belongs... it's a Japanese movie and in the post WWII days. No modern America rehash that has ruined so many Godzilla movies in recent years. This one returns Godzilla to it's roots.
I hate subtitles but I highly recommend that is how you watch the film. The story does deviate enough from the original black and white Godzilla but I think all the changes were well done. They did a great job of making it feel like post WWII Japan. The settings, the restaurants, the cars, trains and planes all look authentic. Wardrobe was also perfect as far as I could tell. Yes, the CGI at times could be a bit better but it's just off enough so to make you feel like you are really watching an original Godzilla film. Godzilla has been reworked slightly but looks pretty damn close to his original self. Even has those great glossed over eyes that are simply eerie.
The characters are well acted. ALL of them! And this is a love story and it's one that works. There will be times when it really tugs at your heart strings. Some parts almost had me in tears and for a Godzilla movie that says a lot about the acting of the main characters. Even the kid came off very believable and did a great job playing the part. There are a large number of supporting actors and their interaction with the main characters is wonderfully interwoven into the story. The humor hits at just the right times and the tensions between the characters is well considered.
I have to say I was really surprised I liked this Godzilla movie as much as I did. And my wife being into old movies also felt this was possibly the best Godzilla movie we ever watched. So if you are a Godzilla fan and looking for a good dinner and movie with your special someone, then this fill will fit nicely. The romance was perhaps the best part but the action scenes were also a great part of what makes this film so good.
Enjoy!
Star Trek: Discovery: Red Directive (2024)
More of the weak plots that try but fail.
I was really hoping after seeing the Picard series pulled from the dumpster to end with a glorious final season 3 and do so well that even Patrick Stewart is calling for more of the same that Discovery would have stepped up the mark and finished in similar fashion. I am trying hard to like this series but it seems season 5 will just continue to try to hard to fill good story telling with overly explained virtues.
Just because you can do something in CGI, doesn't mean you should and Discovery just can't seem to learn that. The show is filled to the brim with cool looking CGI effects I wonder if anyone stopped to think should they? But I can accept too much CGI as I do at least find the effects interesting. After all that was my career.
But it's the overly long drawn out overly emotional dialog between action scenes that really fails. Love isn't a big long 10 minute dialog. Okay I exaggerate but it feels that way. It would be one thing if the Vulcans had to talk out their expressions of love but this problem extends to all the characters. Too much talk, too little action when it comes to expressing virtues or love scenes. I've read much better dime store romance novels (not really but enough so I know these are way, way over done).
The writers seem determined to over explain every scene to the nth degree. Even the action scenes are so badly written that the characters literally have to explain everything that is happening on the screen so the viewer will know what's going through their heads with each blast of a phaser. The show is really overly redundant with the dialog that even action scenes become painful.
Physics don't seem to apply 900 years into the future. Perhaps the stretching of space allows for violations of Newtons basic laws. I don't want to give anything away but I think you will know which scenes I am referring to. And there are several. Many of them quite painful but some are more obvious than others. And don't get me started on the liberties they are taking with basic biology. The Science in this Science Fiction is weak at best. At least they did have some descent hero shots of the Discovery. But still the CGI shots are often dark but not quite as dark as the show originally started with.
But call me the optimist. I am hoping the show gets better as the season goes. I love Star Trek, any Star Trek so much that I will watch any Star Trek to the bitter end. But this show is making me actually take a look at Star Trek V and say, it really wasn't as bad as people say it is. At least V has it's moments. When these episodes end I really have to ask myself what were the good points and yes, it does have a few. I really am hoping they pull off a memorable final few episodes.
Here is to better episodes this year.
Hopefully we will get there.
Perhaps I had too high of hopes.
Land of Bad (2024)
Actually a lot better than the ratings would indicate.
I almost passed on this one but it was the trailer that got me interested. I would give it a 7.5 if you could rate it that way but I rounded up to an 8 because I feel the movie is under rated.
Crowe is an outstanding actor and you almost won't recognize him in this role as a captain that has landed on the wrong side of command. Liam Hemsworth isn't one of the better known Hemsworths and I can't say he really stood out in this performance but he did do a descent job.
Without giving anything away, it's basically a story about a military op taking a number of seriously wrong turns for the worse. There are some very weak plot twists and the overall plot is pretty predictable with few surprises but if you can ignore that you should thoroughly enjoy the pace of the action.
They did a good job of inserting some good humor into the script and I found myself and my wife laughing out loud several times. There are a few moments where the movie has some gratuitous violence that probably wasn't necessary but overall for a war film there is far worse.
Thankfully the CGI is very believable and they didn't over do the special effects and the ones it does have fit nicely into the film.
Overall I recommend this as a watch. It's better than many of the movies that have been real disappointing lately. So if you have a couple of hours and want to watch a pretty descent movie, I think you will enjoy this one. It doesn't have anything that anyone should really give it a low rating for.
Enjoy!
Priscilla (2023)
Really had a hard time getting to the ending.
A teen falls for a rock star and bores you to death.
Phew, managed to stay awake. At no point in time was I rooting for the couple. It was so bland and uninteresting I was tempted to turn it off but I kept expecting this to get better but the ending was perhaps the most boring part.
The acting?
Cailee Spaeny is great and very believable 14 to 28 year old Priscilla. I was impressed that at each stage she seems to look and act as expected.
Jacob Elordi pulls off a believable Elvis and they did a great job pulling off all the looks of the real Elvis over the time frame. He makes a good Elvis.
So what goes wrong? The script and the directing were just horrible? I dunno but something goes horribly wrong with what should have been a great love story and ever spiraling decline due to the pressures of fame and fortune. But yawn, I struggled to pay attention. There is no love, there is no excitement, no spark, and very little romance. The actors just seem to deliver their lines and move on in the dullest monotone possible. The ultimate breakup felt like it was summed up in a single line of dialog.
Recommendation?
Don't waste your time. I don't think I have ever given that recommendation about a movie in a review before. This is no where near living up to the rating it's currently getting. If this was their marriage it didn't die from infidelity, it didn't die from a lack of love, it didn't die due to drugs, or even the music / movie industry. It simply died of sheer boredom. Sorry to leave such a down review but this was as dull as it gets. A 4 is a gift.
Oppenheimer (2023)
Perhaps I my hopes were set too high
I mean any film that gets an 8.5 (current rating) should be exceptional but I found the movie fell flat. None of the characters really moved me. I really wanted to but didn't care what happened to any of them by the end of the film. I came away caring about as much as Oppie and Kitty cared for their kid. The characters all felt pretty flat.
The only exception might be Matt Damon who played the commanding General. I somewhat liked his character but even in the end didn't feel contributed much to the story.
I suppose you could say Robert Downey Jr. Pulled off the politician and you were not supposed to come away liking him but I thought there was no way he would have put up with his aid chastising him and getting away with it.
I don't think it's s spoiler to say the film is about the effort to develop the nuclear bombs that were dropped on Japan. The film goes a long way to say it wasn't necessary as Japan was all but beaten. But it makes mockery about the decision the president and men who were directing the war. Yes this felt very much like the makers of the film were trying to play into the modern blame game to shame the US for having used the weapon. They went to great lengths to explain why it wasn't necessary and only touched lightly on the arguments for using the bomb.
I really tried to like this film but in the end it just let me indifferent. I am giving it a positive score of 6 for now as it did have it's moments. And perhaps the overall effect they were going for was to show how uncaring these people were. If that was their point, then it is well done. But one would hope you would have some feeling towards the characters in the end. This film didn't make nearly as much impression as I had hoped. I think Oppenheimer was probably much more interesting than this depiction of him.
The Flash (2023)
Seems to suffer from the same things as most DC characters.
DC comics seems to have some of the most interesting comic book characters but most of their movies come off a bit campy when compared to their Marvel counterparts. Flash was no different. Many points early on feel forced and overly campy and definitely smells very much like a rip off of the Spider-man Multiverse movie. That is not to say the movie doesn't have some really good moments, it most definitely does but they come on late and I nearly lost interest at several points. Ultimately if you like the Flash stories then it is a must see but if don't expect a unique experience. They are trying very hard to garner Marvel successes and DC always seems to be playing second fiddle even though in my opinion they have some of the most interesting super heroes.
As the CGI goes some of it felt very faked. The AI is getting there but it's not quite polished yet. I won't state which characters to which I am referring as I don't want give any spoilers but you will recognize them when you see them.
Michael Keaton stole the show but that came as no surprise. Michael is one of the finest actors out there is definitely under utilized. His moments are screen are well done and he pulls the role as Batman off so well it's a wonder they just don't recast him in the role even though he is getting on the older side for an action hero role.
Juxtaposed Ezra Miller's character feels like he is stumbling through much of the movie but does have his moments coming across as a solid action figure. But you would think he should have the character well figured out by now. All of the actors that portrayed spider-man pretty much nailed their vision of the character down pretty solidly pretty quickly. Still, there is something I like about the character and it is probably more a problem with the writing than the actor. I think they should let the actor ad-lib a bit and see where he takes the character. Right now he feels a bit too restrained.
Overall the movie isn't horrible I just would like to see DC comics pull it together and put down some solid 8 or above movies that really show off some of their outstanding comic book super heroes. If you like DC stories you should see this one. It's better than most. If so far the DC stuff just hasn't done it for you, you might want to skip this one. It's probably not going to change your opinion much.
Echo Base (2023)
First few minutes into it are really horrible.
Okay, I haven't gotten too far but It's really pretty bad. For some reason the captain has specialist or sergeant stripes on her shirt and captain bars on her hat. Other officers have similar errors. The name tags are nearly falling off. If my uniform had been anything like that I would have been drummed out of the Army. Hey granted this is the Air Force but they're not that much more slack than the army. The dialogue is so far has been horrible. And the comments about chemtrails just make it down right? Silly.
The dialogue is horrible here sexual harassment is starting almost from the first part of the dialogue. The props are substandard and the extras don't seem like they fit in the movie. Basic military protocol is being completely ignored.
I'm not sure how this got a seven but it's ridiculous. Going to have to turn this one off before it gets too far into it. It's clearly a B movie at best and the dialogue shows it.
Sorry not one I can recommend. Don't wear.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Subspace Rhapsody (2023)
I HATE MUSICALS - So this is a good review.
You might think my 5* a bit harsh but I loath musicals. I have seen many in my lifetime and they all get a big fat ZERO. Yeah, even Grease!
With that said, this is actually a good review as it wasn't completely terrible. The lyrics while cringe worthy at times did fit the show. The plausibility for a Science Fiction show was stretched beyond the limits of the known universe and in my opinion that ruins a show that has it's history in good science fiction that is often enjoyed by real scientist. This had to be a hard one to for them to swallow.
If you are a hard core science fiction fan, skip this one. It has some beautiful CGI and is up to par for Strange New Worlds on many levels. But in my opinion these types of episodes only server to pull the ratings down amongst true fans.
So Alex, if you are watching... Please DON'T do that again. It doesn't look good on my favorite Sci Fi show.
Oh you can think about it, but DON'T YOU DO IT!
Mr. Darvin.
Star Trek: Picard: The Last Generation (2023)
THE VERY BEST OF TREK!!!
WOW!!! Okay, yeah, it's a bit sappy at times but it is the perfect ending to The Next Generation that we first saw back in the 80s. Great action, great acting and interaction amongst a well seasons crew, a story that grabs you from the first episode and holds on to you while getting better and better as it goes. And the fans concur. This is one of the highest ranked shows. I was chomping at the bit by episode 10 and couldn't wait to watch it so we stayed up late to catch it. Then we watched it again. This will be one of those you can watch over and over for years to come. This is what makes Star Trek so great. And I don't give the show high marks just because it is Star Trek. The first two seasons were very weak and while watchable were not rewatch worthy. Season three thew out all of what they had been doing and went back to the formula so great. It really is worth watching this last season and you won't be disappointed.
Now, can they save the disaster that is Star Trek Discovery? One season left to find out if they can make that show as interesting. They know the formula. Let's hope they pull it out of the Trek trash can.
Jesus Revolution (2023)
Really good but leaves something still out there.
Okay, this based on a "true story" and it's written by the main character so as a faith based story you know it will be favorable to the Calvary Church which arose in So. California starting during the Summer of Love. So it's gives the church a nice dusting off and shine of course.
Let me start by saying that I saw the preview and was hooked by the soundtrack. This was my generation and the soundtrack to the movie is made up of the hits I grew up listening to.
Unfortunately the love story wasn't well told and you never really fell in love with the characters relationship but this isn't so much a love story is it is a story of a young man finding his calling in religion after having a somewhat difficult upbringing in the Bay Area. It is touching at times but then immediately falls flat leaving you uninterested in the relationship of the people.
The best acting comes from, no surprise, Kelsey Grammer who plays the pastor of the church "Pastor Chuck". He is funny and keeps it light and never dives into the supernatural aspects. Unfortunately the rest of the cast doesn't take his lead and it gets into some of the characters doing things such as supernatural healings which really made the film feel fake at times. Fortunately they did have the foresight to keep these things short and to the point.
Overall I liked the film and the ending but I would have liked to have seen a better love story which the initially spent a great deal of time on only to back off as the film progressed which was a big let down.
So if you are looking for a great soundtrack from the 70's - Yes
If you are interested in how the church rose to dominance - Yes
If you want a love story - Probably No. It just lacked the spark.
This is very much a show for the Christian minded and probably not so much so for the secular crowd.
Star Trek: Picard (2020)
From a 2 to a 10!!! Season 3 Rocks
I guess Strange New Worlds helped them find Star Trek again because I had Star Trek Picard rated as a 2. My wife who is a huge Star Trek fan wouldn't even watch it. But they really turned it around. If it was just season 3, I would rank it a full blown 10!!!
What an awesome season. We are back on board a Star Ship and doing what Trek does best when it goes back to Treking. This season is one of the best and is very much the best part of The Next Generation. It was a great idea for them to bring the cast back. The only disappointing thing about the show is that this is Patrick Stewart's last year. But I am hoping they do a spin off show based on the crew of the Titan. What a fun time.
Devotion (2022)
A true story of a great aviator but only half way told.
The movie is good but just falls short of telling you enough about the main real life character Jesse Brown one of if not the first American of African / Native American descent in the US Navy. (There seems to be some question if he should be considered the first) but he was certainly the first to go through the normal process of becoming a naval aviator.
The problem with Devotion is it almost comes off as more of a story about Tom Hudner (Jesse's wingman) than it does about Jesse Brown. If you watch and don't follow up with reading about the man you would never know that he few more than just two combat missions. In looking up Jesse L. Brown you discover that he flew at least 20 combat missions but for some reason the film only covers two of the missions leading you to incorrectly assume he had a short career as a combat pilot.
And as previously mentioned, the film seems to dwell on his wingman Tom Hudner as Jesse's friend and commander by highlighting many of his feats. The story ends suddenly and without any fanfare leaving me somewhat disappointed in the ending of the film. Finishing off the story with a number of stills and text to finish the tale.
I would much have preferred they shown the story of Jesse's difficulties in becoming a pilot and breaking barriers rather than have the actor complain about them to his friend. Told the story of how he and his wife eloped against Navy orders that they not wed while cadets. Even covered some of his share cropper history as a child growing up in the south.
Unfortunately it is much more enjoyable to read this man's Wikipedia page than it is to watch the movie about him. And that's sad. Too bad they won't likely go back and redo the film. I would say more about the film but I don't want to add spoilers.
It should have been called Disappointed rather than Devotion.
Nope (2022)
Seriously lacking in many areas and ultimately just boring.
The first problem I have with the movie is that you never really get any attachment to the characters. You really don't care if they live or die and ultimately given the nature of the film you are pretty sure that is the point.
The movie moves along at a glacial pace. And the characters make bad mistakes, which I guess is pretty much par for the course when it comes to horror movies.
Sadly in the end I decided I was rooting for the wrong side. And was glad it ended. I looked at my wife and she just shook her head. How the heck is this show getting above a 7 is beyond me. It is tedious, boring and ultimately kind of on the stupid side.
Save your time. Save yourself.
Watch something else tonight.
Prey (2022)
Before Dutch, before Harrigan, there was Naru!!!
I had a lot more fun than I thought I would. Given the decline of the Predator films I wasn't expecting much but this was a roller coaster ride of a movie. I would be the first to admit I am not a big fan of the heroine in action flicks as they often come off as fake but this one out does most if not all of them. It has a few moments were the CGI is off a bit but that is easily forgiven.
Amber Midthunder (Naru) gives an outstanding performance in this action thriller and I honestly can't decide which I like best. Arnold is, well he is Arnold and needs no introduction. His battle scenes with the Predator sets the standard. Danny Glover was no slouch either. The rest were, well unmemorable till Midthunder battled the Predator. I would not have thought I would be comparing a heroine with the likes of Arnold and Danny. But I really did enjoy her performance. It didn't feel forced and she was truly a warrior in her fight scenes.
I think though as I write this the movie is getting just above a 7, it may well be better than it's ratings indicate. This definitely ranks in the top three if not at the second best Predator movie in my opinion.
I strongly recommend it and I give it a 9 instead of a 10 only for a few weak CGI scenes that came off a little fake. Other than that, I highly recommend you see it. FWIW, My wife loved it too.
Going to have to watch this one again.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: All Those Who Wander (2022)
This show continues to hit them outta the park.
This episode had us on the edge of our seats and could be the best episode yet. I won't give anything away but damn, I cannot recall any Star Trek series hitting the ground running like this one. The character arks are impressive and they do what so many shows fail to do. You actually feel deeply about these people (or aliens as the case may be). And they are not afraid to pull at your heart strings.
What a great episode.
What a great show.
Only one left to go this season.
I could really do with more!!!
Yellowstone (2018)
So it's basically Dallas but without a Bobby Ewing!
I really want to like this. Dances with Wolves is one of our favorite movies. But so far there hasn't been a single character with a redeeming value that makes me want to root for them. Everybody in this family, everybody in the community, everybody in Montana seems to be the perfect jerk without any redeeming qualities. Willing to screw everyone over without much thought. Not a single character I can like. Rip is the only one that comes close but even he is a criminal willing to kill without conscience.
Nightmare Alley (2021)
Beautifully visualized but falls short on the acting.
I really wanted to like this one. I really did. The sets were beautifully done and they really set the mood for the dismal life as a carney. But ultimately it didn't make me care about any of the characters.
The love story had no build up. Imagine just walking over to a girl you like and saying I want you even though you just saw me sleep with another woman.
The plot was weak and far too predictable. You just know what is going to happen before it happens and the ending ultimately had no twists, no wow moment and that was the kind of movie it needed to be.
Ultimately I didn't hate the bad guy/gal nor did I care about any of the characters though I really wanted to like Molly ultimately I didn't care about their relationship. There never seemed to be any real spark between the two actors that make a good love story.
And finally the ending just let me down. You could see it coming a mile away. In my opinion this one is one I wish I had passed on. It's only saving grace was the incredible beauty they captured from the era and wonderful set designs. The art deco was beautifully done. It did really feel like being in the south back during the depression when everything was hard and even a dime could mean you had a place to sleep. Really can't say enough about the sets but the story just failed me.
Eternals (2021)
The MCU does a belly flop and it hurts!
I didn't come in to this thinking MCU and though they do mention some of the other MCU characters this story stands alone. Unfortunately it also falls flat at best. Giving it a 4 was being generous as some of the characters are likable up until they are not.
They have a lot of talent in the cast but there are so many plot holes that the move just doesn't make any sense. The over all premises of the movie is weakened by the fact this does take place in the MCU but it's never been mentioned before and there are planets far older than Earth that... well I don't want to give anything away but it doesn't match up with the plot.
Angelina Jolie's character is just totally lost in the story. It's like they gave her a role then never followed through with it or totally forgot what the stated role was at the start of the film. They just gloss over it in the end and never provide any real follow up to the actually claims made at the start of the film.
The film was slow at times and had to do a lot of explaining. Jumping forward and backward in time can greatly benefit some films but in this case it did more to damage the film than help the story along. Many of the jumps came at odd times and seemed to take you to points in time that didn't really further the plot in any meaningful way.
And I don't think I am giving anything away here, in that the all the MCU movies have tid bits to where the next story will go but this one left me feeling it was not hopeful it would get any better. In fact the closing scenes fell flatter than the movie and I felt they should cancel the sequels now before they really stick there foot in it.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)
Wow!!!! What a proton blast from the past!
I had no hopes of this being good but it brought me right back to the fun of the original films and my wife and I felt right back in good ol 1984.
I haven't seen a really good film in a while. And many of the films I have loved have had sequels that flopped badly. I was hesitant to go see this so what a relief to have enjoyed it and the smell of popcorn again.
No formal review of this film. I am not going to ruin it except to say the young actress in this pulled off the part with the grace (no pun intended) of a real professional. It never once felt faked or forced.
Go see it.
You will love it.
Being the Ricardos (2021)
Lucy! I'm gone!
I grew up watching I love Lucy so I was very familiar with the show.
However I was really hoping for something a tad less dark. Sure I knew they ended their relationship but it couldn't have been all bad. If this is what it meant to be Lucille Ball who would ever want that? Both the actors pull off fine imitations of the duo but Javier Bardem is no Desi but once you get past that he does an admirable job acting the part. Unfortunately it's the story that is the problem. They never really let you get to understand why these two hit it off so big, why they were in love. All the time is spent telling what tore them apart.
The only time I laughed during the entire show was when the campaign bottle irrupted. Beyond that the show was just dark, dark, dark. Very sad and ultimately you don't care that it's sad because you don't care about Lucy or Desi.
The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
I had to rewatch The Matrix original to get the bad taste out of my mouth.
They had a great opportunity here to do something unique. The idea of Thomas Anderson still alive wondering if it was all just a crazy man's dream or if it had been real could have had some nice twists with him ultimately choosing the Matrix over the real world and left you wondering if his choice was correct. Similar to how they ended the original Total Recall. I would have loved that and it would have left an opening for a fifth installment.
Like many movies today they over emphasized the action over some of the new characters leaving the movie to feel really rushed. Remember Mouser from the first installment? I felt like I knew him better than any of the new characters in this version including Morpheus. They really needed to build the characters personalities up a tad more.
The fight sequences were no where near as exciting as the original or the two previous sequels. "I remember Kung Fu" as Neo states at one point but he chooses to use his newly acquired shields more than any Kung Fu. He uses them to stop punches, bullets, cannon fire from helicopters, blasts from massive explosions and more...? And all he has to do is hold his hands up. A good portion of the action is just him shielding himself and Trinity.
Mr Smith actually got nice? What? He's on Neo and Trinity's side? Ugh!!! The Architect who actually had some really cool things to say about the Matrix was fascinating. He has now been replaced by Neil Patrick Harris's Analyst who's big secret to beating Neo and Trinity is to slow down time and give them hints of each other without allowing them to have love but in the end it's one of the Analyst's servants that introduces them breaking the spell and causing them to realize the truth.
The explanation of how or even why Trinity and Neo are resurrected by the machines was truly lame.
The outcasts that make a reappearance seems to just be to throw a bone to the original actors. I mean what purpose is the. I mean what was the whole purpose of the Frenchman (Merovingian). To continually yell nonsense about how angry he is for his life being disrupted then to just disappear?
So many opportunities.
So many wasted moments.
So many irrelevant screens.
Great actors wasted on action scenes.
But it did don on me how the Wachowski bothers became Lana Wachowski and as such the Wachowski Sisters. Good for them. Wish they were as good of directors as women as they were as men. Not sure why Lilly didn't participate. It might have been better.
Never the less, I gave it a 5, edging towards a 6. But there is no cutting edge film making here. Still, I recommend seeing it just so you know how the story went. Where next? I don't see a follow up in the making.
Midway (2019)
The film takes on too much.
Like many modern war movies, they have tried to tell too much. The story is supposed to be about the battle of Midway. Yet for some reason they felt the need to cover Pearl Harbor, the Doolittle Raid, Coral Sea.... and in the end they don't have enough time to tell the real story of Midway.
We had some great actors in this film but they never really let the actors tell the characters story. In the end, when a character meets their fate, you don't feel any emotional attachment.
I sorry to say I have to recommend watching the original 1976 film which while it didn't have great CGI did involve you with the characters so you had a feeling of the human aspect to the battle.
Star Trek: Discovery (2017)
I keep watching and I keep hoping for more.
My biggest problem with the show is that it's rendered just too damn dark. You can hardly make out the shapes of the ships, especially the Klingon ships to make out what they actually look like.
My second issue is the characters just really are not that interesting or believable. Not much seems to drive them and the one character (Michael) you would hold some interest I find the least interesting character. She is the least logical having been raised with Vulcans and her motives seem random at times. Like the JJverse we see actions that would never happen in a military command environment.
The spore drive is a big problem for Trek. Here we are 10 years before Captain Kirk arrives on the Enterprise and with spore drive technology we have no real need for star ships.
Now that I have got the bad out of the way, to the good. The show picked up in the second season with the addition of Captain Pike and tied in nicely with the show "The Cage", Star Trek's original pilot. Spock isn't bad but the actor doesn't act in the same manner as Leonard Nimoy so it takes some getting used to but I am warming up to him. But then the show isn't about these guys.
The end cliff hanger seems very problematic in that we have our cast 900+ light years away and far into Star Trek's future. Looking forward to how they deal with it, but they are no where near Federation Space and far into the future. Could be another Voyager type show or the Federation has expanded throughout the galaxy. It will be interesting to see where they take it. I am hoping the crew of Discovery eventually strikes a chord at some point, so I can root for them. Right now if the ship simply blew up I'd be like.... meh.
What ever they do I hope they brighten up the show so it's not so hard to see what's going on especially during battle scenes.
Hoping Picard will strike more of a Star Trek type show than Discovery has.
Lost in Space (2018)
What you wished other SciFi (Star Trek) shows had been.
First off I am a big Star Trek fan and was hoping for more from Discovery. I was never a big Lost in Space fan though I did grow up watching the original show.
I am reviewing after having watched season two and the characters have really found their legs and are off running. The scenery is stunning, the effects even more so and I've really come to enjoy the design on the Jupiter and Resolute. The acting is improving with each show and the action will keep you on the edge of your seat. It's not without faults but the relationship between Will and the Robot has evolved considerably.
Season two is action packed from start to the cliffhanger ending that's up there with the best of them. Our heroes are each in vastly different situations making you wonder how they will recover similar to the ending of Empire Strikes Back.
I was left wanting more and hating that I had watched it all in two sittings. Keeping my wife and I on the edge of our seats right up till the shocking ending.
Now just hoping Picard will restore my faith in Star Trek.
I highly recommend Lost in Space